Dark Prince Charming
by Darkraven Haven
Summary: COMPLETE. Hermione has made head girl and is determined to graduate. Draco is not at the school, letting Hermione build a bit of self confidence along with a secret admirer and a deadly enemy.
1. Chapter 1

1

Disclaimer: JK Rowlings owns Harry Potter, not me. I get nothing out of this except the sheer joy of writing along her story lines.

CHAPTER ONE

With a Wand, Escape

Hermione had been working hard during the summer. But not on books as many thought she would have. She still did a lot of reading and studying, but not nearly as much as she usually did. This summer, as it was her last before graduating from Hogwarts, Hermione decided to take some time to herself. She worked part time, and with the money she earned decided on buying herself a few things she had denied herself over the years. Being seventeen, her image was one of many things that she decided to change. She started working out, usually with a book nearby. Started eating differently, usually with a book in hand. Started going out dancing, leaving the books at home for once. Dad fixed her front teeth, he was afterall the dentist version of a knight in shining armor. She went to the hairdressers often and the nail salon too. It was a fun time.

Sitting in her room she could hear her parents shuffling around downstairs. For their anniversary Hermione bought them tickets to Phantom of the Opera. Originally she had bought three tickets, but returned one of them so they could have some private time out. Hermione set aside her book as her father knocked on her door.

"Hermione, honey. We're leaving now, we'll be back late okay?" she opened the door and smiled at her father.

"Sure dad, you guys have fun!" she gave that award winning smile, and left the door open. He smiled back and headed downstairs and out to the garage with his wife. Hermione just giggled and started to head back to her book.

'Tap'…'Tap', 'Tap', came from the window. Hermione giggled again, thinking Ron had sent her yet another note whining about not seeing his friends, only to see a dark and rather sinister looking raven with a small box in it's claws tapping on the glass. Hermione took a minute to open the window, it was a bit shocking to see a raven wandering out this late at night. They didn't typically fly after dark.

The bird flew in, dropped the box on her bed and was gone back out the window in one fell swoop of it's heavy wings. Hermione tilted her head in curiousity and checked the box for curses and traps. Nothing, at all. A very muggle box overall.

She let her curiousity get the better, and slid the box lid open. Inside there was a pair of earrings and an origami swan. (Japanese paper folding, for those of you that don't know) The earrings were silver, with an emerald in the middle of a beautiful display of filigree around the emerald's marquis cut. Nothing magical about them. She pulled the swan out and looked it over, and then started to unfold it. Inside was a note.

'_Granger, put these in your ears, grab your wand and RUN! D.E. coming! GO!... Signed … DPC'_

Hermione didn't think twice, she grabbed the earings shoving them in the holes in her ears and grabbed her cloak and wand. She felt the cold coming up the hallway. Ice started to cover the wall. Hermione went to her window and jumped down to the patio roof, then to the ground. As she landed, her foot caught something on the ground. A large bag of chocolates between her feet. Grabbing it, she ran toward the fence . She could feel them closing in, the wretched screams from the garage letting her know they already got to her mother. Father probably would not scream.

Reaching the fence, she volleyed it. Landing, everything started swimming in her head. A thunderous pounding that wouldn't relent made itself known behind her eyes. She felt herself getting lighter, or at least it seemed. Struggling into her neighbor's yard she headed for the pool, but everything went dark as she looked into the water.

Hushed whispers woke her from her dreadful dream.

'Damnable mudblood, why do I have to deal with it,' one whispered.

'Because your father wants you to prove yourself,' another whispered. 'She's awake.'

'Fine, wait for me outside. If I have to do this, I don't want your prying eyes,' the first voice said. Swishing fabric and the sound of a door unlocking, opening, closing and then locking again let Hermione know she was at least with one less assailant. She didn't dare open her eyes or make a sound yet. She didn't appear to be bound, but her wand was gone. Probably broken or rid of in some way to keep it from her. She felt chilled to the bone. Cold inside and out. Damnit she had let them get too close, she's lucky they didn't "kiss" her!

"Well well well mudblood! Seems I get to have a bit of fun with you before you die. How many ways to make a girl scream.. hmm?" she felt a sharp jab to her ribs making her moan in pain. "Little sensitive aren't you?"

She felt sudden pressure over her torso, the scent of cologne filled her nostrils. The scent was very fitting, it smelled wonderous on whomever her assailant was. Her breath hitched in her chest as she felt hands traveling over her body. Her head was pounding, every limb was tired, she felt dead inside. No panic, just a will for it all to be overwith.

"Now now, can't have you not responding here… that just wouldn't be proper. I'd like a good scream or two out of you, filthy mud blood, dirty whore…" he hissed. "You ever been done proper? Course not, dirty mud blood could never get a good lay," he laughed insidiously. She felt his mouth crash onto hers, forcing hers open. Then the oddest sensation, her mouth filling with chocolate. He pulled back only fractionally, she could feel a large black cloak covering both of their frames. 'Eat the damned chocolate,' he whispered softly. His hands were moving over her body, making motions of things they were not actually doing. She came somewhat more aware to feeling this pressure on her chest, her senses and mind waking up like from a deep cold sleep as she swallowed the very rich chocolate in her mouth.

Her assailants hands were making like they were lifting her dress, but it was staying against her skin she could feel that. He was faking it! He was using his cloak to make it look like he was hurting her! She lay still, eyes turned away and closed tight.

"What? No screams? No motion? Hmm… maybe just a bit of chocolate to bring you around hmm?" she felt her mouth being forced open with a finger. A tiny piece of chocolate placed between her lips. "Eat it bitch."

Hermione did.

"Now let's have a good scream…" she felt him grind against her. "Taste what's coming bitch… "

"NO!" she screamed… "NO DON'T PLEASE!" She pretended her arms were still limp, trying to lift them like they were heavy weights. Why this person was helping her, she didn't know but for now she'd play along. He lowered himself to her ear, and whispered again.

"Oh Yes you filthy slut, Yes…" he lowered himself to her ear again.

'Right pocket, low in cape… wand. Kick me, hard. Do not hold back or they'll know I'm not really hurt… door on left then apparate… got it?' he heard her start to turn her head, to say something… 'Don't unless you want to force one of them to finish this… and you..I'm going to thrust you one more time, pull back… when I do kick me… and run for your mudblood life… no more questions…. ' he said lifting his head, Hermione screamed again begging for this not to happen before she did what she was told. He thrusted, she screamed, he pulled back and she lifted her knee as if a robot following commands and knocked his next generation clean into his gut. 'Good job Swan…' he whispered before letting out another gut wrenching moan.

He groaned hard and rolled over, but not before she retrieved the wand out of his pocket and she ran to the left. Finding the door he was speaking of, she pushed it open and ran through, and apparated out of there, to Ron Weasley's house.

"SHE APPARATED WITHOUT A WAND?" he felt another sharp kick to the ribs. "YOU FAILED BEFORE OUR LORD! HE DOES NOT TOLERATE FAILURE!" Another sharp kick and several cutting whips into his back, he cried out, grasping onto the post he was tied to.

"It will not happen again! It Will Not!" the man screamed, and crumpled to the floor taking his bindings with him, that tore at his skin as he could no longer hold himself up.

Hermione pounded on the Weasley's door, screaming at it as if it could hear her. "PLEASE! Open the Door! PLEASE!" The lights in the house all came to life as the door opened, Arthur Weasley looked down at the crumpled heap of a girl laying on the porch. "Please…."

Slowly he lowered himself and went to touch the smooth haired woman lying on his stairs. As if she felt her aura impeded on, she flinched back before he could touch her and looked up at him with doe fear filled eyes. Arthur gasped looking down upon Hermione Granger, missing now two weeks, and presumed dead. Her dress torn, her body dirty, her hair slicked in grease from not being washed, her body was pale but in her hand a silver wand of the most beautiful quality.

"'Mione? Easy… easy girl.. it's me … Mr. Weasley…. Easy…" seeing his eyes, she ran into the man's arms and immediately sobbed horribly.

"Father?" Ron called from the steps.

"Go back to bed Ron," Arthur called. "Tomorrow."

Ron took the hint and went back upstairs, but he wasn't about to be able to sleep.

Mrs. Weasley helped the girl get herself put together, bathed and into a bed. Arthur stood guard throughout the night. Waking the girl from her hellish nightmares that she wouldn't talk about. When Arthur went to take her wand, she clenched it like it was her lifeline refusing to let it go. Arthur decided it best to leave it alone for now. He'd ask to inspect it after the girl rested. And thus was the end of a horrible summer.

A few simple tests showed she had extended light exposure to dementors. Used to keep her weak or unconscious. Somehow she had escaped, and that she wouldn't talk about either. She just kept shaking her head, saying she kicked him and got away. When asked where she got the wand, she said she found it. It was obvious the girl was lying about the wand, but she was fearfully truthful about the kicking of the man and getting away. She refused vertiserum, and they had no means to make her take it either. The interrogation by the Ministry was almost as bad as the attack itself. And it was the end of a horrible summer.

Finally, Moody took her to her home to collect her belongings to go to Hogwarts. Crookshanks lay dead at the foot of her bed, her items had been tossed about her room. Her bed overturned, her wand snapped in two. She packed the house up, and had most of it put in storage, except what she would need for school. Her parents were found dead. The muggle explanation was accidental carbon monoxide poisoning from the car running in the garage too long. The real explanation was death by "The Kiss" of a Dementor.

The family dentistry practice was sold, so was her house. She just couldn't bring herself to live there ever again. And thus was the end of a horrible summer.

Hermione felt the first jerk of the train as it departed for Hogwarts. Another jerk let her know they were on their way. She didn't speak with Ron and Harry. She just stared out the window, her cloak's hood pulled up to shield her face from passersby in the hallway of the car.

"'Mione?" Ron called to her. Her gaze turned to him slowly. "You can't go on like this. It's not right. I know it was bad, but you can't just stop living 'Mione."

"I know. I just need a little more time," she said softly a tear slipping from her unblinking eye. "I'll be fine Ron. Please just understand."

Harry knew what she was feeling. Now Hermione was in the same boat he was. Orphaned by the Voldemort, and cursed to know that he could come again at any waking moment. It was no wonder that she was uncomfortable on the train. Harry had been attacked on the train a few years back by a dementor.

Hermione slipped another piece of chocolate in her mouth. She kept it on hand now constantly. Slipping a piece now and again. It was more a psychological need now than the actual effect of the dementors but for a long while she had to have almost a constant supply to get her spirits up at all. This now was just the depression of losing your parents and the life you knew. Harry understood this too.

"Let her be Ron, she'll be better once we settle into school, let's give her some time to herself," he said as they made their way out of the compartment.

How long Hermione stared out the window was anyone's guess, including Hermione's. The next thing that snapped her from her daze was a large cloaked figure sliding the door open and sliding in, closing the door and pulling the shade. He didn't turn around to face Hermione at all, he just spoke to the door.

"Heard you made Head Girl Granger," he said. "Congratulations."

"Malfoy?" she stood and put her hands on her hips. "What do you want?"  
"Keep your voice down Mudblood! I just came in to tell you who'd you be working with! Damn giddy bitch!" Draco snarled. "Blaise made Head Boy. Figured that would make your whole year. See you later bitch!"

"Your games can't bother me anymore Draco," she said quietly. Turning away from him to look out the window again. "I'm above your name calling."

"Good job wench… just watch your back." he opened the door and was gone.

'Well that went remarkably smoothly, wonder what didn't crawl up his ass this year?' she thought to herself.

She settled into her new dorm, her class schedule was rigorous, but this was her last year to get in as much education as she could. She looked about the common room, and so did Blaise. He seemed pretty easy going about all of this. Hermione had expected at least one low blow or name call, but Blaise kept his mouth shut unless it was cordial. Miss McGonagal must have given him a talking to before he got here. Or maybe that's just the way he was when he was away from Malfoy. She shrugged and plopped down on the couch.

"We don't have classes tomorrow, but we still have to patrol tonight," Blaise said quietly. "I'm going to the dungeon for a while. Should I meet up with you later? Say nine or so?"

"Sure Blaise, see you then," she pulled open a book from her bag.

Blaise walked over and hooked a finger over the book and pulled it down, forcing her to look up at the owner of the disturbing digit. "Gryff, listen, you really shouldn't take all your damned time on books. You are missing a lot of the world out there. See you at nine." And without another word he turned on his heel and walked out of the portrait.

"Gryff?" Guess so? Better than Mudblood I guess... she thought to herself.

She read for about half an hour, her book was borrowed from Mrs. Weasley. Herbal remedies for dragon fevers. At least she didn't have to deal with Snape anymore, but at the cost of losing Dumbledore, now her family too, Hermione just slumped.

There was a knock upon the portrait.

"Miss Liberty, who is at the door?" Hermione asked.

"Dobie" she replied, adjusting her blindfold to look down at the creature then putting it back. Hermione put down her book and opened the portrait. The little house elf bounced in and smiled.

"Elo Miss Ermione!" he said happily. "I gots a gift for you! It be delivered just a minute ago for ye!"

"Well, where is it?" she smiled at his happiness. She didn't want to depress Dobbie or he'd do something stupid like iron his hands. Dobbie snapped his fingers and a large black laquer box appeared on the coffee table.

"There's ye go! I be off!" and he was gone, just like that.

A/N: Many chapters of this are under construction. I am willing to work with ideas, constructive critisism only! Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

1

CHAPTER TWO

Secret Admirer?

Hermione looked at the box, suddenly reality struck hard. Her hands drifted to the earrings on her ears, the silver filagree with emeralds she refused to take off. She didn't know why, but she wore them always.

She moved to the dark green ribbon holding the box closed and touched a finger to it. It instantly untied itself at her touch and the box slowly opened. Hermione instinctively stepped back as if a dragon would jump out and eat her, her wand was ready just in case. But nothing jumped out, no spell released, nothing. She moved over to the box and scanned it for spells. The box itself contained magic, identifying magic, so that only she could open it. Inside the items had magics too, but none of it came off as a curse or anything.

She peeked over the rim of the lid into the box. Inside lay a black hardcover book, under it another book she couldn't quite see because of the black book and under that was a large amount of fabric, some gold and silver could be seen here and there.

Hermione reached down into the box and pulled out the first book. It's cover was plain, nothing on it. It had a pentacle that could only be seen as the light danced across in a particular manner across its surface. She opened it, and realized quickly it was a grimoire, or a journal of sorts. Checking it's magic it was a book of many pages. One could write in all the pages, when finished one simply closed the book and reopened it to get more blank pages to use.

'Interesting, these don't exactly come cheap either...' setting it aside she looked to the next book. The cover read "Theories of Merlinizing". 'This was a college book, and even that was with a pass! Curiouser and Couriouser!' she did her best Alice in Wonderland Impression.

Lastly was the cloth. It was all black, with guilded gold and red along the edges. The Head Girl crest was on the front. Lifting it out of the box was a chore; there was just sooo much fabric to it! Lifting it up fully and out of the box it was a cloak, a god damned expensive cloak! There must have been fifteen yards of fabric to this thing! The Head Girl crest fell onto the floor, and the cloak suddenly became extremely light, the fabric changed from fabric to shadow. Hermione gasped holding the extremely cold item in her hand. She bent down and lifted the crest, touching it to the fabric and it changed back to fabric. A shadow cloak? Something to allow her to move through shadows undetected? Why would someone give her such a thing?

Beneath the cloak lie a note.

'_Write in the book, I'll write back, DPC'_

Hermione blinked, tilted her head like a playful confused puppy. DPC? Who could that be? Hmm... She grappled up the journal and a pen and sat down on the couch opening the cover she began to write.

'DPC?'

The words faded away and new words, beautiful caligraphy even, appeared in it's place.

'Granger' then they faded away slowly.

'Who are you?' Hermione penned.

'You don't really want to know Granger, it's better that way'

'Please, you let me go, why?'

'They had no right to ask me to do that' the words faded a little faster. 'You can't help the way you were born'

'Do they know you think that way?'

'Would I be able to write to you if they did?'

'I guess not. What is with all the presents?'

'You are going to need them and with your parents dead I doubt you could afford a wand'

'How did you know what wand to get?'

'Perception'

'Are you someone I know?'

'Yes and No'

'That didn't answer anything'

'It's best that way Swan'

'Why do you keep calling me that?'

'Just a pet name luv'

'What does DPC stand for? Is it your initials?'

'No'

'Then what?'

'I'll tell you sometime'

'Why are you doing all of this for me?'

'Because I can, you are not ready for any other answer yet'

'Conditioning me for something?'

'They will return for you.'

'Will you be there?'

'I hope not.'

'Why?'

'Because I will die trying to help you again, they will not let me live if you escape again'

'Death eater, but helping a muggle born?'

'You cannot help the way you were born'

'So you do not agree with everything about the ..well.. Him?'

'Can't write about that, meet me by the lake at midnight, use the cloak it works in the castle. Yes they know that too, so have it handy at all times'

'Okay. See you at midnight.'

'No, but I'll see you. Bye for now Swan'

Hermione couldn't believe her eyes. She was going to go meet a death eater at midnight? Was she NUTS? What if it was a trap? Grr... go.. dont go...go... don't go... damnit I'm going already! she thought to herself.

At nine, Hermione changed into her civilian clothes and donned the new cloak. She gathered the journal and her wand and met up with Blaise. She fixed up her hair, a little makeup, not much, and poof, she was ready for anything.

"Hey Granger, ready?" he said, before he looked at her, then he got a eyeful. "Whoa!"

"Whoa yourself, yes I'm ready," she said.

"Damn girl! When did you get so sexy? Geez it ain't right for a Gryff to look that good!" Blaise said with gusto.

Hermione just rolled her eyes and headed down the hall. "What? You'd prefer me to look like Pansy Parkinson or something? Not like you got a whole bunch o' beauties in Slytherin House there buddy! Let's go already, I've got other things to do tonight besides these rounds!"

Blaise felt like he could claw his eyes out now, because he had surely seen it all. Granger looking like a Slytherin Goddess? Damn! The way she looked she could probably convince Malfoy mudbloods were marriage material! Well, alright that was pushing it, but at least enough to get it on with! Whoa... wait a minute... look again...nope still WHOA!

Blaise let out a sigh and went about the rounds with Hermione. Not much was said between them. Hermione wasn't sure how to take all this conversation from Blaise, and she was sure that it was a set up of some kind.

Rounds were fairly uneventful, a few snogging Ravenclaws that had to be sent back to dorm, few points off of a Gryffendor that was in the halls after curfew, other than that, all was pretty good. Blaise and Hermione went back to their dorms, and back to their rooms. It was 11:45 when they got there. She promptly went to her room and out the shadow of her closet. Once out on the grounds she went to benches that lined the path near the lake and waited patiently. When midnight struck, she opened her journal and watched the pages.

'Walk down to the gazebo' the writing came, and quickly faded.

Hermione didn't waste a moment, she quickly got up and headed over to the ivy covered gazebo and stepped inside, looking to the journal pages again. Nothing appeared. She closed it and waited.

"Evening Granger," the whisper came as he stepped from the moonlit shadows.

"Alright, enough cat and mouse, who are you?" she demanded, wand in hand.

"I don't have a wand," two gloved hands raised from the cloak. "Truce."

"Why did you help me?"

"Didn't we already cover that?" he whispered. "By the way, nice kick, I was hurting for two days."

Hermione blushed. "I'm sorry, you told me not to hold back."

"You are right, I did," he whispered.

"Alright tell me this, are you a student here?" she narrowed her eyes.

"Yes," the whisper came again. The scent of Black Code by Armani filled the air, that cologne.. she remembered it now.

"Luminous!" the area lit up from her wand. But nothing pierced the man's dark cloak of shadow.

"Put that out, we'll be seen and get detention or worse. You won't be able to see my face Granger," he whispered. She shook the spell off the wand. "And yes, before you ask there are more of us in the school than you know."

"Oh Merlin," she shook her head. "How am I supposed to know which is which?"

"The earrings, they'll show you. But don't freak out or act like you know. And don't trust any of them."

"So what is it they wanted you to prove anyway? Or did they say your father?" she raised an eyebrow.

"How sadistic could I be. It's necessary you know," he whispered. "Causing pain to others is necessary for some spells."

"Yeah, certain curses you mean," she crossed her arms with the wand at ready.

"Hermione, I'm not going to hurt you. I don't expect you to believe me, but I'm not. Oh, before I forget, the earrings will also point out Potter, but he's not one of us. It's just his scar," he said quietly. He still didn't pick up any volume, just enough to keep it so you couldn't tell him apart by voice.

"I don't buy this ... You can't help the way you were born...stuff. Why did you do it?" she demanded.

"Put that wand away," he demanded back. "I'm not here to get myself killed or caught. I came here because you needed to know a few things."

Reluctantly she looked around, put up a barrier spell to keep their conversation quiet from any possible passersby or anyone that might be lurking in the shadows. Then put her wand in her sleeve.

"There," she said, "Now answer my question."

"Can I approach you? I'm unarmed," he said in that whisper that just seemed to carry.

"No, I think you can stay right there," Hermione stated plainly. _I'm dead, I'm out here with a Death Eater, and it's going to EAT ME! Or worse, he isn't going to eat me, just make me feel two feet tall! No, keeping his distance is very very good…._

"I already know you can throw a good kick, so if I do anything you don't approve of just hit me or something. Deal?"

"NO!" she aimed the wand at him again. "Stay back."

"Very well Granger," he recoiled back to the railing of the Gazebo, giving her the distance she seemed to need.

"I am sorry, I didn't want to hurt you or scare you," his tone was soft and apparently tender, even though it was barely above a whisper.

"Are you talking about now, or then?" she said quietly her eyes looked to the stones below her feet.

"Both," he sighed out in a breathy response.

"I see. I'm sorry, but meeting a death eater in the gazebo is probably the first most foolish thing…" she started, he responded quickly.

"I am not a death eater," he said plainly.

"Then why were you there when they attacked my house?"

"Ten minutes of truth I will grant you on Halloween. Bring vertiserum with you, I'll need until then to try and get out of getting myself marked. Be prepared though, they will come after you again and they probably won't keep me in the loop about it, just in case. You are a very real threat Hermione," he whispered softly and he drew close, closing the gap between them. The two shadow cloaks merged into one great shadow covering them both. Once enveloped, she could see his outline, but still not his face. The gloves vanished, and a pale arm lifted so she could see there was no mark. "I will not set off your earrings." He leaned in a bit closer and moved down to her ear to whisper into it. "I was wrong about you, I want you to know that. I was so very wrong about a great many things." He kissed her cheek lightly. Then retreated back. Their cloaks seperating. "Hurry back now, sleep well because tonight you are safe. Leave any messages you like in the journal, I'll answer them as soon as I can."

"Will I see you again?" she asked quietly.

"I see you everyday Hermione," and with that he stepped into a shadow and was gone.

The next day was going to be great. Everyone in the Gryffendor common room was buzzing about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a certain Professor Catherine Bruce. They had seen her at the Great Hall during the sorting ceremony, and she was the new head of the Gryffendor House too. She had a gentle face, Hermione remembered noting to herself. Young too. She didn't appear a day over 21. She wore a very formal gown, complete with corset. It was burgundy with gold trimmings and large angel sleeves. Her cloak was nothing less than fantastic either. It seemed to be black underneath, but was almost completely covered in phoenix tail feathers. The fire from the feathers told Hermione the owners of the feathers were still very much alive too.

As they made their way into the class, Ron was chattering on about Lavender and him snogging half way into the night. Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes. And Harry just seemed to want to let Ron get it out of his system so he would shut up.

Vincent Caligrin was there, the new transfer student from France. Although he himself was not French. Hermione got the full 411 on him from Ginny last night. That was an earfull and Hermione now for the life of her couldn't remember half of the redhead's prattling. Considering Ginny is with Harry, it was pretty clear to Hermione that this was a deliberate "Let's get you two together".

Since half of the Slytherin class was no longer in this school, sent off to join their death eater loving Dark Lord, it had made Hermione a bit easier. Vincent was Slytherin, but like many Slytherin did these days that wanted to stay in the good graces of those around them, he wore his robes and coat off, and his sleeves rolled up. He was just putting them back on when Hermione had walked in.

"Children! It is time to settle in please," a gentle voice called as Proffessor Bruce walked out of her office into the classroom. The students all moaned at the term children and quickly tended to their seats.

"All right then. I am Professor Bruce for those of you that missed it day before yesterday. Today we are not going to indulge in studies, we are going to get to know a little about each of us. I will allow each of you to ask me one question, and I'll answer as truthfully as possible. Now, I see we've all grouped together practically by houses. That has to change," she said quietly.

Professor Bruce proceeded to seperate and reorganize the seating in the classroom. Putting Slytherin with Gryffendor, Gryffendor with Hufflepuff, etc. etc. Hermione got to sit next to Blaise Zabini, which as alright with her. Better not to give Ginny any more fuel with the new student.

Ron was upset, he didn't get to sit with Lavender. Instead he got placed with Nessa Merlington, a prattling rich girl Hufflepuff that made his skin crawl. That seemed to be the teacher's intention.

"Alright then. Shall we begin?" she sat on the corner of her desk elegantly looking over her class. "Who shall start?"

Hermione for once didn't want to be the first to speak out. She was a bit at odds wondering what to ask the brunette with blazing sky blue eyes that seemed to bear directly into your soul.

Ron raised his hand. "What kind of defenses do you intend to teach us this year?"

"A very valid question, sir. You are?"

"Ron Weasley"

"Ah, Ron, I intend to make sure that each and every one of you can fend off a Death Eaters attacks and curses, of course," she smiled sweetly to Ron.

Another hand went up from a Ravenclaw in the back of the room. "Does that include the unforgivables?"

"Well, that depends. Is anyone here tutored in the unforgivables, because I certainly am not. I only know how to counter them. So unless someone is willing to do the honors... No? Didn't think so. Next question.."

"Where did you come from?" Vincent popped out.

"Ah, Scotland. I was born just north of Dublin actually," her thick English brogue did not give away anything about a Scottish heritage at all. Hermione made mental note.

"What bloodline are you from?" sneered one of the Slytherin that remained.

"Actually I'm a pureblood Bruce, from the royal line," she quirked a brow at the boy's impertinant question.

"Are you single?" laughed Zabini.

"Yes actually," she laughed, "But I'm afraid you're a bit young for my menu. I, afterall, don't like veal."

The class erupted laughing, even Zabini.

Hermione finally raised her hand having formed her quesiton. Professor Bruce gave her the floor with nothing more than a simple hand gesture.

"How do you intend on teaching us the counter curses, without teaching us the curses? This was Professor Moody's problem too," she said confidently.

"Unlike Moody my dear, I know that for each spell there are numerous ways to deflect it, reflect it, change it or bind it. I will teach you these methods of magical escapology," she smiled sweetly to Hermione.

The question all wanted an answer for now finally popped out of Harry's mouth.

"If you don't mind me asking, those types of spells aren't in any book I've seen. How old are you to know these kinds of magics anyway?" he didn't come off rudely, just matter of fact.

"Well Mr. Potter, I believe that your eyes probably haven't seen nearly as many books as they should have considering how much time to you take for your Quidditch, but in lieu of that, A lady never gives away her age," she said with a soft smile.

Class went off without another hitch. Questions and answers with no homework tonight. That was nice, Hermione noted to herself. More time to write to her new acquaintance in her journal.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

It's Alright

Hermione spent the next three weeks talking to her mysterious savior in the gazebo and in her journal. Only the first page was enchanted to use as a communication method with him. The rest was apparently a normal journal. They spoke of many things from personal likes and dislikes, to muggle things, to the magicking world. Shestill didn't let him touch her, and they kept respectful distance in the gazebo. He promised that when this was all over, if they survived he'd show her the magicking world. She hadn't seen a lot of it, but she had to teach him more about the muggle world. And so their deal was struck.

Her earrings did start alerting her to the Death Eaters that had been marked in Slytherin House. And even three that were in Ravenclaw. Pansy, Samantha, Crabbe, Goyle all were marked. Hermione kept her distance. Blaise was not marked, thank god, she had to live with him. And this new guy Vincent wasn't marked either.

**Crowded streets are cleared away, one by one**

The first weekend in Hogsmeade her earings went off. Little chirping, like swallows on a spring morning started off quietly, then got louder and louder. Hermione was with Ron and Harry. She froze.

Harry and Ron looked at her like she had five heads.

"Mione? You okay?" they asked in unison.

"We've gotta get outta here!" she grabbed Harry's cape and ran into the bookstore. Ron followed quickly. Running up the stairs to the windows there, she looked out. The chirping got quieter in her ears, but only by a little.

**Hollow heroes seperate as they run**

The crowded street below bustled and hustled, then everyone slowly stopped moving altogether looking at something the three could not view from the window. And just as fast panic set in, one scream was heard joined by the rest of the mob below as they all started running to the left, brooms taking off, people aparating, anything to get away. Hermione grabbed Harry and Ron.

"Quick, get under my cloak!" she screamed. They looked at each other, then did what she wanted. There was plenty of fabric to hide them. Hermione ripped off the Head Girl emblem and they vanished into the floor of their own shadows. "Move!" she said as she guided them from shadow to shadow, getting out of the way. It was cold here, very cold.

"Dementers!" Harry announced.

"Yeah, let's move!" Hermione ran outright. They were right next to her sides, she didn't leave the shadows until she was at the train station. "Harry, get Ron out of here!" She lifted the cloak, and pushed them out before vanishing back into her own shadow. Ron and Harry yelled at the shadow screaming for her to come back. But she knew they were after her, she had to get out of here.

She yanked out her journal and started to write in it fast.

'DPC! THEY ARE HERE IN HOGSMEADE, DEMENTORS!'

'Where are you?'

'Train Station'

'Stay in the shadows, they can't get you there, but the death eaters can, be ready, I'll come get you!'

'WAIT! How will I know it's you?'

'Swan... don't ask stupid questions'

Infuriated she slammed the book shut and hid herself behind one of the turnstyles, curling herself and her cloak up as much as possible to hide her presence. She felt herself getting colder by the minute. That throbbing behind her eyes started to return. She shook her head trying to clear it before she felt two hands come around her waist and that familiar whisper.

"Swan, let's go." With the scent of the Black Code Armani cologne she leaned against her savior. : POP:

**You're so cold, keep your hand in mine**

She was having trouble clearing her head, shaking it incessantly trying to get the throb to go away. He placed a large chocolate bar in her hand. "Eat this.." Even through his glove he could feel how cold she was. She took a bite from the chocolate, then another. The pain in her head started to subside.

"Take this off, you need to warm up," he commanded. Hermione removed the cloak, putting the crest back on it before laying it down on the chair? Chair? She looked around her. She was in a magnificent room of some kind. It was dark, black marble walls, luxurious heavy velvet curtains covered the window, silver leafing was over the woodwork, with dark green snakes intertwined in it. Yep, a Slytherin's room, but not at Hogwarts. Of course not, you couldn't apparate to Hogwarts. Duh.. she told herself. A large king size bed filled one corner of the room, with laquered black furniture everywhere. Even the closet door was a black laquer.

"Where am I?" she questioned taking in her surroundings.

"My room," the whisper came again. "I'll take you back soon, they'll give up now that you aren't there. They won't risk getting caught trying to get you." He walked up behind her, his cloak was now one of fabric aswell. She saw the green and silver woven into the hems of the fabric in intricate designs as it swished around her body, his arms again around her waist. Pulling her close to him, she shivered, half out of the cold in her body, half out of, well whatever makes a horomonal teenager shiver.

"Woman, you are going to be the death of me," he whispered into her ear.

**Wise men wonder, while strong men die**

**Show me how it ends, it's alright**

_She leaned against his strong chest. He was definitely strong and well built. His arms were muscular. Pale but muscular. His scent she had come to relate with being safe and relaxing. She had even bought a bottle of that cologne to keep in her room. It was strange for a girl to have a man's cologne, but she wanted it, it was all she knew of him._

_"I'm scared," she said quietly._

_"Don't be, it will make you freeze up in your time of need," he whispered. _

**Show me how defenseless you really are**

"Obviously you are a Slytherin," she waved a hand dismissively at the decor.

"Yes, I am," he replied, pulling her against his chest, he ran his hands over her arms trying to warm her up. His chest against her back and his hands were exceptionally warm.

**Satisfied and empty, it's alright**

_"How is it you stay warm under the cloak?" she asked._

_"It's hard to be cold with you around," he whispered. _

**It's alright, let's give this another try**

"Still not going to give me any hints to who my savior is are you?" she asked leaning against his chest.

"It's safer for you that way," he said softly, even in the whisper concern ghosted over her ear.

**If you find your family, don't you cry**

**In this land of make believe**

**Dead and dry**

**You're so cold, but you feel alive**

**Lay your hands on me one last time**

"I wish I knew more about you... " she whispered almost too quietly to be heard. Her hands were soaking up the warmth from his chest, intertwined in themselves trying to warm up. He pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her freezing cold body.

"Why Granger? Like what you've seen so far? You won't later, so just enjoy what is here now," he whispered. They seemed to stay just like that for what seemed to be an eternity. Hermione couldn't get her mind to follow through with a complete thought. "We should get you back, the attack is over and my father will probably be back soon throwing a fit about not finding you." His statement snapped her out of her wordless stupor.

He placed a soft pecked kiss on her cheek before she felt herself being covered by her cloak again. It's coldness replacing the warmth she felt against his chest.

**Show me how it ends, it's alright**

**Show me how defenseless you really are**

"Halloween then...how will I know you?" she sighed.

"Swan, stop asking stupid questions," and again he pulled them through the shadows.

**Satisfied and empty, it's alright**

**It's alright, Let's give this another try**


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

Masquerade, My Swan

The Masquerade Ball was coming up soon. Hermione and Blaise helped in the planning of the event. They had decided on Bringing My Future as the theme. Everyone's costume had to represent something they wanted to be part of, or become in their future, even if it was in some abstract way. It was going to be perfect. Beautiful even. Ron decided he was going as Sherlock Holmes. Harry was going as Vincent Dale, the star Quiddich Seeker. Ginny was going as something strait out of Disney, Esmirelda from Hunchback of Notre Dame. Hermione wasn't talking about what she was going to go as yet. It was a surprise. Blaise decided he was going to go as Watson so he could pester on Ron all night.

With all the preparations in place, Hermione wrote in her journal to DPC, and got no response. The words did not fade. He must not have been near his book. The next night was the same, the words were still there from the day before and had not been read. Hermione started getting nervous. This went on and on, no responses.

The night of the ball, she dressed and made herself ready. Looking in the full length mirror in the common room, she definitely decided she looked damned good. Even if you couldn't really tell it was her with her large feathered mask. "Oh I hope he recognizes me..."

"Who recognizes you?" Blaise called out taking in her looks.

"Wow! You look amazing!" He added... "But who are you supposed to be?"

"You wouldn't know. It's a muggle thing." she replied. Her dress was made of leather, with belts that were buckled all around the front with a wide leather skirt that had a lace and flower patter embroidered along the bottom. A tight corset around her torso that held over her breasts and pushed them up. The neckline hung low, it was made to look like it clung onto her breasts. There were no straps, just sleeves that started just below her shoulders. A line of fur encircled over the sleeves and over her breasts. In her arm she held a stuffed animal cactus. She wore red and purple beads around her neck and her make up was very dark indeed. Her hair was up in a neat Japanese style bun with long braids that hung down from it. She had purchased contact lenses to make her eyes appear a deep cherry wood color. She wore fishnet stockings and ankle high boots with quite a heel on them. She tucked the vile of verivestum serum in a small pocket hidden between her breasts. She chuckled a bit remembering what the tailor that fit the dress to her called it.. it was her booby trap. Her dark purple lipstick was sure to be the kissable kind. She didn't want to have to keep reapplying it all night long.

She turned to Blaise, the chirping in her ear was loud. "Your date is here, Blaise you really could have done yourself better than that... hussy."

"Wellat least I have a date, Granger," he snapped coldly.She walked off. Just then Pansy knocked at the portrait. Hermione went to her room and closed the door. She waited until she heard them leave. Ready set go...she thought to herself and headed down to the ball.

People were being announced by their costume, not by name. So when she walked in, she was announced as "Final Fantasy Ten Character...Miss Lulu" she watched as people turned and stared. The costume was something they had never seen before, but the looks she was getting were also ones of "Who is that?" and other such stares. Soon the ball resumed from it's staring and went about it's merry way.

"His Lordship, The Dark Prince Charming.." Hermione froze. Turning her head to the door she watched a man enter, long black hair waving down his back like a flowing piece of silk, burning blue eyes shone from under his mask of golden and black feathers. DPC... Dark Prince Charming... Ohmigod... he was here... finally he was here... He wore a poet shirt, flouncy at the wrists, with a silk black and green vest with silver buttons, a dark hunter green long coat and baggy, but exceptionally well styled matching dark green and black pants that were held fast at the ankle by a pair of riding boots. She tried to surmise who it was, but for the life of her she flat didn't recognize him. But the sorting hat had announced him, so obviously it knew who he was and allowed him into the Ball.

Prince Charming didn't stop to chat to anyone really, and made a beeline for her. She watched him approach trying to read indescribable features. Such perfection, it had to be a spell of some kind.

"Why good eve Swan," he said in a soft whisper. "Would such a lovely lady care for a dance?" He said offering a gentlemanly arm. She curled her angel sleeved arm into his, letting go of the cactus stuffy, it decided it was going to go do some dances of it's own thanks to the Weasley twins.

"It would be an honor milord," she said taking a low curtsey. He bowed in return and arm in arm they made their way onto the dance floor.

Taking her hand and an arm around her waist, he led in an elegant waltz to the slow song that was playing.

"You look spectacular," he whispered into her ear.

"You are looking rather dreamy yourself, Prince Charming," she said as they took another wide turn. People watched and either smiled or fumed. Pansy was absolutely green with envy. You could just see it in her face when they took another spin around the floor. Every giggle Lulu gave, just made her more angry for some reason.

"Do any of them know who you are?" she smirked at Pansy on their last turn around the floor as the song was ending.

"Just you and the sorting hat," he whispered. As the song ended, he stepped back from his Lady of the Eve, and bowed to her as she took another low curtsey.

"Would the Lady be so kind as to give me a tour of the gardens?" he smiled brightly.

"But of course Milord," she said with mock sincerity. He offered his arm, and again she took it as they headed toward the doors to the garden. The cactus jumped up into her other arm as they left the ball, it's applause for their dance and fuming jealousies behind them.

They quickly made their way to their favorite meeting place and with a wave of the wand their barrier was in place. She leaned up against one of the posts, and took off her mask. He did not take his off.

"I believe you have something for me?" he sat down on the bench.

Hermione reached between her cleavage and pulled out the vile of clear fluid.

He reached out and took the vial, and opened the cap. In a soft whisper he looked deep into her eyes. "Here's to anonymity, remember Hermione," he seemed far less confident as usual. " I said I was wrong about you, don't forget that," and he drank the vial down with ease. "Ask away."

"Alright then, are you marked yet?" she sat down next to him.

"No," he seemed confused by that. She hadn't asked who he was first?

"Do you think they will still come after you to mark you?"

"No," he replied.

"Why is that?" she asked softly.

"I think they'll try to kill me, but not mark me," he replied softly.

"Okay, why is that?" She asked again.

"I turned them all in to the Ministry, even my father," he looked away from her. His costume was indeed impressive. He didn't look like anyone in Slytherin House.

"Hmm… how old are you?" she asked.

"Seventeen, same as you," he replied. Still puzzled.

"What are your feelings for me?" she asked with a sly smirk on her face.

"I have no feelings for Lulu," he replied. Nice dodge, way to go.

"How about for Hermione Granger?" she asked.

"I'd really like to get to know her better, I care for her," he replied.

"Do you wish it to be more than just a friendship?" she asked.

"Maybe someday, I don't think you'll trust me right now," he said quietly.

"Why wouldn't I trust you?" she asked.

"As soon as you ask who I am, you will leave," he replied. Shaking his head he felt the effects wearing off. "It's wearing off Hermione."

"Good, you sound like a robot on that stuff," she said quietly making herself comfortable on the bench across from the gazebo from him.

"You had a chance to ask who I was and get an honest answer, you didn't take it?" he asked, going over the steps in his head he had taken to conceal his identity.

"If you are Slytherin House, you are probably used the immunity venom to Verivestum," she grinned.

"You know about the venom?" he seemed puzzled. "And you still trusted me?"

"Yes I knew, and I still trusted you," Hermione smiled.

"Plus, we are both in this up to our eyeballs. We don't have Dumbledore to help us anymore," she watched as his eyes averted away from her, she stood and crossed the gazebo to him. "So now all we have is each other unless we want to get those we care about killed. And I'll be damned if any of them are going to get hurt. I think I figured out why HE wants me."

"Oh what is that?" he asked, as her finger hooked his chin and made him look up at her.

"He is a halfbreed, and should I grow to love someone, say from a pureblood line, it could breed his nemesis," she said softly. "Plus one of his parents was a complete muggle. I'm muggle born, but still a witch. Thusly the child, may be stronger than him in the long run," she said quietly. "Or so the fears of a paranoid wizard may be."

"Good job Swan," he whispered. He looped a hand around her waist and pulled her against him. "No wonder he fears your existence, I think I would too if you were my enemy."

"You never told me why you call me Swan," she smiled.

"Have you ever seen a baby swan?" he asked. She shook her head. "They are ugly, grey balls of feathered fluff. They sound like mistuned trumpets. They have no grace, no dignity, no poise. Then they grow up… and they turn into the most graceful beautiful creatures on the water, with vicious tempers ta'boot." he nuzzled his cheek against hers whispering into her ear. "Describes us both if you ask me."

"Are you trying to seduce me Mr. Charming?" she giggled.

"Is it working?" he whispered pulling his face back to look into hers. She stared into his eyes before he slowly leaned in, lightly touching his lips to hers, just a chaste, gentle kiss. Slowly his hand rose to the middle of her back, she could feel his fingers just below her shoulder blades, he cupped his other hand around her cheek and looked her deep in the eyes.

"Can you love a total stranger?" he whispered, never leaving the eye lock.

"You are far from a total stranger, DPC," she answered with a sweet retort, mimicking his cadence to her. "You are my savior, my friend, my confidant."

"Remember that in times to come," he said, slowly leaning forward, he softly placed his lips on hers. Hermione gasped slightly, letting herself melt into his soft lips. This was all so crazy, so unreal, so fairy tale like. So illogical... so now...

He kept the kiss fairly chaste, but softly lingering. As he pulled away, he looked her deep in the eyes once again. "Do you know what I love about this?" he whispered, pulling her gently into his arms embracing her against his body gently, protectively.

"Hmm..?" she answered, soaking in his body warmth.

"I'm so free right now," he whispered. "I could be anything, a troll for all you know, but you are here with me."

"You are not a seventeen year old troll going to school at Hogwarts," she let herself a small giggle.

"That's true," he gave a small chuckle himself. "But if the world were to ever catch us," he sighed... refusing to finish the sentence.

"Then we should go back to the Ball, and show them all up. If this is the only night we can be ourselves, then we should show them all exactly what is growing right under their noses. Even if we are the only ones who know it," she said nuzzling her cheek against his.

"Your wish is my command," he whispered and he lifted her bridal style from the bench. "But one condition."

"What's that?" she smiled.

"Tomorrow, you come away with me," he smiled, eskimo kissing her nose.

"Saturday, I just have to be back in time to do my rounds tomorrow night," she said.

"No you don't. Blaise will cover them for you," he grinned. "Because you are going to be very ill, in your bed resting," he looked pleadingly into her eyes.

"Does Blaise know about you?" her eyes widened marginally.

"Yes," he whispered. "I need someone to help me pull off all this smoke and mirrors," he whispered. "Don't push him on it please."

"Alright, I'll go with you tomorrow," she smiled softly.

He leaned forward and kissed her cheek, then put her down onto her own feet offering his arm. She took it, her hand grabbing her mask and sliding it back on.

"Well Lady Lulu, shall we make them all jealous?" he gave a smirk.

They moved back to the dance, he took her to one of the tables, got their dinner and drink like an absolute proper gentleman. The professors were all questioning who was who around the room. Harry popped by with Ginny on his hip, DPC was nothing less than absolutely cordial. Hermione introduced him as DP to her friends. Ron came by with Blaise hounding him about astounding facts and absolute brilliance, being as they were dressed as Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Ron whined about getting the Slytherin to leave him alone, but neither Hermione or DP could be bothered. Blaise chuckled and followed after Ron like a lovesick puppy dog, pestering the hell out of him, but it was all no harm no foul.

After they ate, DPC offered an arm to Hermione and they were off to woo the dancefloor again.

They danced to two more waltzes before the more modern music picked up. She thought for sure he'd use it as an escape, he didn't seem like the type that would dance to more modern music, especially the particularly dirty hip hop that was playing, but oh gods yes he could do that too... and do it with finesse! Well with about as much finesse as two people who were practically shagging with their clothes on could have.

The candles in the hall all burned to life, letting the attendees know that the Ball was coming to a close. DPC looked to his date with a smile.

"Would you allow me to walk you to your room Milady?" he said offering an arm.

"That would be absolutely fabulous," she smiled taking his arm.

He just patted her arm and escorted her toward the exit. Headmaster McGonagal was watching as they all filed out.

"Headmistress," he said respectfully "tipping" the had he wasn't wearing.

"Sir, Lady," she said. "Take care now, and not to be late to your dorms."


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Out of Town

The following day she spent out and about the magicking world with her mysterious friend. He showed her the Spectral Lights over a town called East Hedgewick. They were supposedly the ghosts of long lost lovers that died without knowing each other's affections. Terribly romantic, really. They ate picnic style, all the while keeping that fake visage he acquired at the Halloween ball. Also never touching her other than a friendly pat on the hand, or a kiss on the cheek. Always a gentleman.

They slept on the blanket from the picnic, under the stars before he returned her to school the next day.

"You are going to keep writing... right?" she whispered as they reached her dorm room.

"Of course, but if I don't leave here soon I'll be missed," he sighed. "I wish we had more time." He said taking her hand. He interlaced his fingers with hers gently. "Not this Saturday, but next Saturday... shall we get away again? I won't be missed on Sunday. And I miss it when you aren't around..." his whispery voice suddenly seemed unsure, almost shy. She had learned how to read those whispers. He never talked above a whisper to her, ever.

"I would love to," it's was true. The journal writing was a nice past time. But she truly longed for their times alone. Away from the stresses of Voldemort, school, even from being one of the great golden trio. His fingers dragged lightly over her cheek and she found herself leaning into the feather light touches, trying to feel more.

As if he had heard her silent plea, he stepped forward, pulling her by their interlaced hand. His other curling into her hair around the back of her neck. She felt a soft pair of lipsgently press against hers, molding her lips to his. Her arm draped lazily over his shoulder as his tongue tapped lightly on her lips begging for entry.

As she relented to his advances, her body melding against his chest. He unlocked her hand, resting his now free hand against the small of her back, pulling her against him as she let a slight whimper of longing out into the kiss.

Slowly, the passion burned out of the tremendously powerful kiss and he pulled himself back awayfrom her, only to catch her hand as it fell from his shoulder. Placing a kiss upon her delicate spell casting knuckles he let her fingers slide from his hand as he backed away from her slipping into the shadows. "Until Saturday my Swan..." seemed to radiate from every shadow around her. She was bereft of breath, but as the mists in her mind faded she was left smiling with her cloak smelling of Black Code, by Armani from him being so desperately close against her for so long.

On that day in May, he slipped into the shadows and left behind something with her.

She went into her room dreamily. It wasn't until she was sitting at her vanity that she noticed something peculiar, a gleam on her hand. She touched the spot with the gleam on it, a bit of light only really, and the lights swirled about the room just like the lights over East Hedgewick. Then as they all faded away, Hermione was left with a single blood red rose, something shining within it. With her fingers she plucked the item out, and gasped.

She ran down to the common room, to find Blaise sitting in his boxers reading.

"Blaise!" She giggled running up to him. "Look!"

He squinted trying to see what her shaking hand was holding between her forefinger and thumb and then grabbed her hand to steady it so he could see.

"Oh my.. your courtship is going just swimmingly isn't it?" he slyly grinned at her.

"Courtship?" she gasped eyes wide.

"Of course courtship you silly girl!" He leaned back and closed his book. "What do you think you were doing? Perhaps a long overdue shag fest? C'mon Granger, think!" he was laughing the whole time until he saw Hermione's desperate blush. "You don't know about this, seriously?"

"Know about what?" she stomped her foot.

"Easy, nothing to get overly shod about. He's courting you 'Mione. Treating you with the respect due a pureblood no less. When a pureblood is born, they are usually betrothed off right then. If something happens to the one they are betrothed to, the wizard is free to court. This wizard apparently had his betrothed lost for some reason. Now, as such he has to find a suitable woman to be his wife. A pureblood usually, but apparently an exception has been made in your case.

"Now, knowing that..." Hermione slowly sat down next to him, completely enrapt in what he had to say. "He's been courting you dear. Has he kissed you yet?"

"Yes, just tonight actually..."

"Did you get me a picture?" he laughed.

"Stop it!" she blushed.

"Anyway... a pureblood who could bear him a strong magicking heir is usually the way a woman is chosen. Once chosen, the man will court her. Give gifts befitting the woman, take her out getting to know her best, being there in her times of need, you know.. a boyfriend. She is free to court others, but after affections beyond simple gestures is made it is expected that she make a choice," he smiled.

"Basically pet, he's asking you to choose him above all other suitors, he's basically just asked you to go steady," he chuckled.

"Go steady or marry him?" she gasped hearing the end of his tale.

"Well, go steady really... marry him later," he shrugged. "He'll ask you to marry him sweetheart, no worries there," Blaise winked. "And you still will have every right to say no then too."

Hermione went back to study the ring again.

Inside was a simple, yet very delicate ring. A crescent waxing moon on the left, a round diamond signalling the full moon in the center and a crescent waning moon on the right. The cycles of the moon, the Fates, the cycles of life, which ever you chose to call it and Hermione knew many. She slipped it on her ring finger and Blaise smiled.

"Thatta girl.. now get some sleep. You obviously didn't sleep much last night," he grinned.

Sleep was not an easy thing gained that night.

The writings of the journal went on for months. All during Christmas break they wrote to each other daily. Sometimes simple things. Sometimes about the hells going on in their lives. Everyday DPC became more of a person, less of a dream. Every time they met, they talked about magic, spells, magical training, or books they had read. Once spring came, the meetings in the gazebo were far more frequent, but his advances never passed beyond that passionate kiss, never.

Blaise covered some of Hermione's shifts as she did for him to give them alone time with their significant others. Or so Blaise had determined.

"Hermione, it's your night tonight right?" Blaise puppy eyed her.

"Oh no you don't. You got the last two weekends! This weekend is mine!" she laughed. Living with Blaise daily was definitely not as bad as she thought it was going to be. "Your little boyfriend is just going to have to wait."

"Aggg.. woman. Fine." He pouted. "But Tony won't be happy about it."

"I suppose," she laughed.

Hermione awoke around 9 in the morning. She didn't care about missing breakfast today. She got herself a shower, and dressed. She had a light pink tank top from Old Navy, some low rider jeans, her hair was half up, half down with little braids here and there. A little kissable lip gloss and she was good to go.

She flipped open the journal, and started writing.

"Good morning DPC," she scratched down. To her relief she saw it fade away, he was reading his side of the book.

"Good morning my Swan," it read, then faded.

"Your swan eh?"

"But of course."

"How long have you been awake?"

"Just got up, getting ready to go now, I'll write after I'm clean... need shower... ugh"

"Well at least your hygeine isn't a spell...LOL"

"LOL?"

"Laughing Out Loud"

"Ah! Will write soon"

She grabbed the journal and her cloak and headed into the common room. Tea was definitely in order, she set the kettle on and pulled one of the bar stools up to the counter.

"Mornin' sunshine," it was Blaise.

"Hey," she smirked.

"How's your princie doin?"

"Said he just got up, taking a shower or something like that"

"Ah.. tea? Some for me?" Blaise said with puppy eyes.

"Yea sure," she laughed at his stupid face.

"He told you I know right?" Blaise was serious now.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "But I'm not going to push you on it. I don't want to know Blaise. If he is someone so wonderful or terrible. We only have a few months left of school, and this fantasy man will be gone from my life. Or maybe he won't but I can't settle down with a fairy tale man that doesn't exist. He'll have to show me eventually who he is or ... he won't and one day his words will just stop coming..." she ran a hand over the journal. "I can't tell my friends about him, they'd never understand or they'd try to do something silly to expose the Slytherin."

"Yeah, he feels that way too," Blaise shrugged. Then jumped as the teakettle whistled into life. "I'll give you this much, it t'isn't me."

"I know that. You covering for me tonight?" she looked over to him as she took the kettle to the teacups awaiting the precious hot fluid.

"How many times you covered for me so I could get in a little action, I owe you at least one," he laughed and got his teacup from her. She opened the book looking for words that weren't there yet. "Hard to believe, isn't it? For the past seven years, all of us have directed our behavior by what some floppy hat determined was the best place for us to be. Pretty sad."

Hermione took in his words and let out a chuckle. It was that simple wasn't it? The sorting hat decided whom would be friends, and whom would be enemies and all of the school was willing to follow the hat's choices so blindly.

The words started to form on the page... her heart leapt a bit as they did.

"Clean now... should I come get you?" they read.

"Blaise here," she scribbled quickly. Sipping her tea, she looked at Blaise.

"No problem, he knows, be there soon gotta dodge," it faded away and she looked to Blaise.

"He's coming to pick me up now." Hermione couldn't help but smile.

"You got all that from looking at a blank piece of paper?" he surmised he couldn't read whatever came into the book. "You guys use that to talk eh? Sweet!"

She laughed and sipped more hot tea. A couple taps could be heard at the portrait. Hermione laughed and walked over opening it to let her mystery man in. His cloaked figure stepped in and she closed the portrait quickly.

"Are you ready Swan?" he whispered into her ear.

"Let me grab my cloak, I assume I don't need my journal?" she grinned.

"No," he whispered.

She grabbed her cloak and donned it, moving to his side he lifted his cloak and pulled her under the massive fabric.

"See you Blaise!" she said as they both vanished from sight.

They travelled, shadow to shadow until they were clear of the school grounds. He took his wand from his cloak and pulled her close to him, with a "CRACK" they were in a forest of some kind. It was beautiful, flowers donned all the trees, there were gardens of flowers all over the place. She gasped at the beauty of it. She had never seen such a place. Floating nearby was what appeared to be some sort of cabin. It was made of all birch, the white contrasted against everything here, shining like a lone star in the night.

"It's... beautiful..." she said blinking. Never had she seen such things.

"Hermione," he called softly as he walked up to her. Looping his fingers through her hair as her astonished eyes continued to drink in the sight around her. She tore her eyes away from it all to see the one dark thing here, him.

"I want this day to be so special to you," he said in a low tone. He wasn't whispering, she still couldn't place the voice. He removed the cloak, he had the same long dark hair as the night before. Same piercing blue eyes that were so soft to look upon, definitely not his own.

"We both may not live through this war," he said as he moved to within inches of her. A hand, fingers long a slender cupped her face gently. She found herself leaning into his touch, her eyes never leaving his. "And neither of us should die not experiencing at least some measure of peace, some measure of happiness..." slowly he dipped his head to hers, touching his lips to hers gently. Molding his lips softly around hers in a chaste yet loving kiss. His arms encircled her waist.

Her hands slipped up his chest to his shoulders as he gently kissed her. Slowly he drew away looking deep into her eyes.

"I'm ready to know now," she said softly. She leaned into his chest and kissed him deeply again. Her arms circling around his neck, his tongue tickled over her lips, gently seeking entrance to her precious cavern. She relented, allowing him, as their tongues danced together.

Slowly they drew back once again, there was nothing hurried about his actions, nothing pushing her. He drew back slightly and reached into his cloak, producing a small pink diary. Hermione's eyes bulged out of her head. It was her diary, from her room. She had been writing in it just before the attack on her house.

"Is this where you got the idea for all of this?" she shook her head slightly. "You wanted to fulfill a fantasy for me?" Her fingers wrapped around the little book.

"For us, Hermione," he said softly. "I realized I could give you this dream. I had the means, I just had to do it for you. Remember, I'm a failure to my family now. And it's only a matter of time before the Dark Lord removes my influence from his ranks. And then there is always what they want to do to you." She heard his breath hitch in his throat. "And that is my fault too."

"Your fault? How is the Death Eaters coming after me your fault?" she seemed shocked.

"If I had not mentioned you to my father, you would be safe at Hogwarts, none the wiser of my family's attempts to prove their loyalty to the Lord," he averted his eyes. "I couldn't save your parents, but I could at least save you."

Hermione nodded to her mystery lover. She understood.

"I want to know who you are," she said softly.

"You wouldn't want to be here if you knew Hermione," he looked away, looking to the beauty around them.

"Why? Why could you say that?" she choked somewhat.

"Because we are natural enemies," he sighed. "And my father has already sold me to the Death Eaters, to _HIM._ Do you not understand?"

"I know that there is something very good in you, I've seen it, felt it," she said softly.

"I know that too, that's why I am going to die," he refused to look at her.

"You told the sorting hat you wanted to be in Slytherin didn't you?" she said quietly.

"Of course I did," he replied. "Back then all of this hell was seven years away. It was an eternity. I was just a child, I had no way of knowing exactly what being a Death Eater entailed. I just knew it was what my family did. Now that I turned them into the Ministry, my life is marked, and I will die. They will also kill you if they know I'm involved with you," he turned slowly, she could see tears in his eyes. "I didn't save you, sacrifice everything, just so they could kill you."

"What are you saying?" she shuddered.

"I'm saying I love you Hermione Granger," he lowered his head. "I always have. But I had to keep you away. I've done some terrible things Granger, and I'm no angel."

"Terrible things? What Slytherin hasn't?" she sighed. "It's hard to love someone who you don't know. Is this the real you? Or is this a facade? I have so many doubts running through me right now."

"Trust in me when I tell you what I have done is particularly terrible. But if I am going to make sure that you survive, I am going to have to do more terrible things. Hermione, I love you, and I will keep doing what I must for you to survive," he touched her cheek gently.

"What about all my friends?" she seemed so worried.

"I will do what I can," he said. "But Potter's battle is Potter's. I cannot interfere. The Dark Lord has claimed him for himself."

"What will be left of all of this when you leave me!" she exclaimed. "If you love me, why would you leave me?"

"Hermione, please... " a tear slipped down his cheek, shimmering against the magic that held his disguise. "I am a dead man. Can I not love you?"

"You give up on us already! We've fought and beated HIM before! Let us fight for you!" she ran into his arms.

"Because if you knew whom I was Hermione, or if your friends did, they would tell me it was what I deserved. And they are right," he sighed pulling her into a desperate embrace against his body.

"That isn't part of my fairy tale!" she let tears slip down her cheeks.

"No, but it is the real world. Just know that if you survive, you will have back everything I can ever give you. It is all I can do..." he said.

"Why are you being so selfless?" she wet the front of his shirt in her tears. "Damn you..."

"Death has a way of making you see what is real in the world Hermione," he said softly. "And if there is a miracle to save me, I will be at your side always. Please don't damn me yet."

"And if you don't live, what will be left for me?" she looked up from his shirt into his face.

"Know this," he said softly. "I will give you something of me to keep with you forever. Then you will know who I truly am. And know that you are completely safe. Once this dream ends Hermione, you will be safe, and know that I loved you," he whispered.

She dropped the diary, and into his arms catching him off guard as her arms wrapped around his neck, her kiss was needy, passionate and longing. Something had told her that this was just right. It felt right. It was meant to happen, meant to be. All the secrets she had kept from Harry, Ron, Ginny about him. And the bookworm knew, that all the magic employed to bring about this happiness was for a reason.

Pulling out of his kiss slowly she looked him deep in the eyes. "What can I do to keep this dream alive?"

"Like all dreams, we eventually wake up. But for now, let me love you... just let me love you and I can die happy despite whatever they may do to me..."

"On one condition," she implored. "You love me as yourself. I'll cover my eyes, use a blinding charm. But not this... this isn't real," she sighed softly nuzzling into his neck. "If I can't know who you are, I want to feel the real you. Just give me that part of the puzzle..."

"Very well my swan," he whispered softly. "Very well."


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Revelations Of the Plan

Minerva MacGonagal walked the halls of the school. It was not busy and bustling like it was during the week. Her mind traveled to the disguised boy who had begged for her assistance, she couldn't see through his disguise but the sorting hat could. And the hat had assured her that this boy had pure intentions regarding Miss Hermione. And that his fears were very real, at least to him. She allowed it. Working with the disguised boy to assist him in what he wished regarding Hermione's safety.

It haunted her mind that Hermione would be so desperately scarred, she had been taken from her home once already. She was no longer innocent and strong as she once was. She knew exactly how dangerous her situation was. Something she had been sheltered from here in the walls of Hogwarts. They had helped her to become a strong witch. Ignoring her transgressions into the library's restricted section, ignoring her blatant disregard of the rules to protect her friends, and now ignoring her running off with the disguised boy for the weekend.

Dumbledore's portrait had been less than helpful in the situation. Cryptic messages regarding the fact the boy truly loved Hermione. But nothing about who the boy was. Only that it was for the best.

Minerva knew he was right. He always was. She could only pray that she had taken his cryptic messages the correct way by allowing this disguised boy into the Halloween Ball. By ignoring the little escapade out to the garden. The whole school was abuzz of who the boy could have been. Harry and Ron were fuming. It was more than apparent that Hermione and the disguised boy were more than just a casual date. And Hermione had said nothing to them about him.

"Blaise we want to see Hermione!" Ron yelled at the portrait into the Head's quarters.

"She's sleeping, she is sick!" Blaise yelled back through the portrait, not opening it.

Harry held his wand like a dagger as he tried to bore holes into the picture with his eyes.

"What is going on here?" Minerva asked the two boys trying to get into the Head Dorm.

"That ... that... He won't let us go see Hermione!" Harry stammered.

"Miss Granger isn't feeling well and needs to rest," Minerva said quietly. "I suggest you boys save your questions about the Ball until Monday and let her get some sleep."

"How do we know that GUY didn't do something to make her sick!" Harry snorted as a response.

"I assure you it's nothing like that a bit," Minerva said quietly. "Miss Granger has been working very hard as of late, and the Ball was just enough to exhaust her. She needs rest," Minerva responded. "Now be reasonable."

Ron was the first to reply. "Yes Miss M.. I mean..Headmistress." He grabbed Harry's arm, who still apparently was fuming. "C'mon 'arry... we'll see her on Monday... c'mon." Ron pulled on Harry's arm.

Once they were gone, she opened the portrait and looked to Blaise.

"Where is Miss Granger?" was her only question.

"Uhh.. sleeping headmistress," he replied.

"Show me to her," MacGonagal demanded.

"Ummm... I can't," he replied.

"She isn't here, is she." More of a statement than a question.

Blaise looked up and knew he was caught. There was no way to lie his way around the ever perceptive McGonnagal. She knew.

"No Headmistress," he replied quietly.

"Where is she?" the woman's eye flickered up, an eyebrow raising.

"She is safe," he replied solomnly. "She's with.. well.. I don't know his name. She's with him. It's important Ma'am." Zabini replied defeated. "Please don't let her be in trouble."

"I see," she said. "Twenty points from Slytherin for lying to the Headmistress. Blaise I know about the boy," she said. "And she had better return safely here or it will be more than points I remove. If anything happens to Miss Granger that causes her harm..."

"He won't harm her!" Blaise spat out angrily.

"Really? You do not even know his name, how would you know that?" she crossed her arms, wand at the ready.

"He can't harm her. He loves her..." Blaise turned away and left MacGonagal with a stunned expression. "And not the puppy kind either, it's real."

"But you do not even know whom he is!"

"That's because I took it out of my memory," he replied. "I had to. To protect them."

Again MacGonagal was stunned.

"Are you saying what I think you are boy?" she cauffered. "Surely you cannot be saying that ..."

"He's going to die, please just leave them alone," Blaise turned his back to the Headmistress. "I have to go on rounds. Do to me what you want, just don't tell anyone please."

This was very out of character for any Slytherin. MacGonagal stood in awe of the boy's loyalty to someone close to him. And she realized that Hermione Granger was much more than just a very powerful muggle born witch. She had swayed the heart of a Slytherin, and that wasn't something to ignore.

He escorted her into the cabin. It was so beautiful inside. Ornately decorated in a Japanese style. The doors were all shoji, with teak wood. The hardwood floors glistened in the sunlight that came through the paper walls. There was dark wood around the tables that were low to the floor. A small firepit was in the middle of the floor with a cone above it to make a chimney. The fire crackled lightly, the wood and such giving the room a sandalwood smell. The pillows at the tables were white with black trim and black embroidered dragons across the pillows. They removed their shoes, but before she could step inside she felt herself lifted into his arms.

He carried her bridal style into the home. Moving past what she could see to another shoji door, that slid open as he approached it. Inside was a beautiful bath house. A natural hotspring in the middle of the room, with shoji screens around for changing. He walked past this placing a kiss on her cheek as another door slid open, one that she hadn't seen and beyond lie the most breathtaking bedroom. The bed was recessed into the floor, the satin bedspread was white, with the same black dragon as the pillows in the dining table. Sakura grew wild all around the bed.

She gasped at the beauty of it all. It wasn't dark like his room had been, it was light, it was beautiful. She felt him lower her onto the bed with himself, laying to her side as he looked deep into her eyes. His back of his fingers traced over her features, his eyes drinking in her details as if burning them into his memory.

Slowly he lowered to her lips, his arm snaking around her back to pull her body against his. His kiss was slow but passionate and not to be denied. She returned his passion, their tongues danced, not for domination but for contact. Her arms pulled into his hair, as she felt his hand travelling her skin of her arm, then slowly down her side. These simple touches were sending electric shocks through her body, a slow fire burning her up from within. His trailing hand moved slowly up to her face, dancing around her breast, not touching it as he cupped her cheek in his hand. His kiss slowly ended, and he pulled away with a gentle nip to her lower lip and looked deep into her eyes.

"Hermione..." her eyes fluttered open to look deep into his. "I love you, and I don't expect you to answer me, you don't know me below this mask of a persona I have left you with."

His voice seemed to falter slightly from it's usual rich velvet. "I just want you to know that I do. I just want you to know that you mean the world to me. I wish I could give you so much more, a liftetime of sitting at your side, holding you and giving you everything you ever dreamed of. Gods you deserve so much more than this..." his eyes were watering again.

"Shhh.. please.." tears were welling in her eyes as well. She wiped away the tear that escaped from the deep azure eyes that were staring apparently strait into her soul. _Such emotion... so much swirling within those orbs..._

Blue azure stared into her, pouring nothing but sincerity into hers.

"You deserve so much more," he whispered. "A husband, a home, children... a future with the one who loves you so much. I cannot give this to you... "

"How do you know that you cannot?" she said breathlessly. "We may win this, he cannot be undefeatable."

"That's my girl, always the optimist," he tried to smile.

"Promise me something," she whispered.

"If I can," he said softly.

"If we both do survive, you will stay with me and fulfill all of those things with me," she whispered to him, her eyes never wavering from his. "That is, afterall, how my journal of dreams ends."

"That I will swear to you," he whispered back with all of his heart in his eyes. "When I return you to the school I will give you this in an unbreakable vow." He said as he lowered his lips to hers, sealing his fate in her kiss. "But you must promise to accept me."

"I will, as long as your last name isn't Crabbe or Goyle," she promised. This was such a dream to her, but he had gone through and made sure she had her dream. He had saved her from the Death Eaters, not once but twice.

"I don't think you will," he said softly. "I don't ever see you being that forgiving. And I know your temper..."

She looked back into those eyes. Her mind shot over the list she had mentally made of the "who it could be's".

"Hermione don't. I'm not a puzzle for you to answer," he nuzzled her neck gently, breaking the eye contact. "Don't... for your sake... " He slowly pulled away, and got up from the bed.

"I will go see to our lunch, you may roam anywhere you wish. This is yours now," he said, not making eye contact.

Harry fumed over what was going on. He kept pondering over and over in his head who he had not seen at the Ball, that could possibly be this mysterious man that Hermione was so enraptured with. He kept trying to ponder why Hermione had kept him a secret. Maybe to spare Ron's feelings. But Ron seemed to be taking it rather well overall. Maybe to spare his feelings? But him and 'Mione were just friends. Unless... he was ... oh no...

Harry shot up out of the Gryffindor common room and started down the hall. He had a very good idea and it was more than a possibility with the strange way 'Mione had been acting too. Ron was a little more perplexed, as usual, but followed Harry anyway.

When they reached the Great Hall, Harry sat down at the edge of the Gryff table and waited. Ron walked in shortly there after.

" 'arry, what are you doin?" he questioned.

"Ron, 'Mione kept us in the dark about this guy. Why?" he crossed his arms. " Hermione never keeps secrets from us."

"Maybe she thought we'd be mad," Ron said.

"But WHY would we be mad?" Harry said baiting Ron on to find the conclusion.

"Well, maybe she doesn't want hurt ye feelings or my feelin's?" Ron said shrugging.

"Well, Why would this hurt our feelings?" Harry said creasing his brow with a frown.

"Well.. maybe we won't approve of him," Ron shrugged again. It was obvious this was a depressing subject for Ron. He wasn't thinking clearly on Harry's bait game.

"Ron! Snap out of it! Why wouldn't we approve of him! If he treated 'Mione right, why wouldn't we approve?" Harry snapped.

"Maybe he's a... " dawn crested on Marble Head. "Damnit he's gotta be bloody Slytherin!"

"Yeah, a well to do Slytherin too, look at all the new things Hermione has, she hasn't got even enough to dream of buying a Dark Shadow Cloak, those cost upward of 15 million galleons!" Harry explained. "So what Slytherin do we know that has that kind of money to throw around?"

"Now 'arry, now ye being ridiculous. Couldn't be Malfoy, he hates muggle born anythings! Plus he ain't even here since Dumbledore died! C'mon already!" Ron was getting the drift, finally.

"Hermione wouldn't tell us who it was, can you think of another Slytherin that would make us that angry?" he crossed his arms quirking a brow at Ron.

"BLOODY 'ELL!" Ron exclaimed.

"Yeah, and I know just the person to ask," Harry almost darkly sneered.

"Whoa whoa, now 'arry, hurtin' somebody ain't gonna fix this... " Ron said.

"Hermione won't come out of her room, I think we have a right to ask a few questions," Harry said firmly as his prey walked into the room.

"Petrificus Totalis!" Harry said as Blaise froze stiffening and falling over. "And he has the answers."

Blaise found himself able to move again in a room he did not recognize. It had one light, coming from the corner, the rest of the room was dark. He tried to stand only to find himself bound tightly to the chair he was in.

"Alright Zabini, where is Hermione?" He heard Potter's voice.

Blaise thought to himself to come up with an answer, but found that his voice rebelled and answered. "I don't know." DAMNIT! Harry had given him vertiserum!

"Who is Hermione with?" Ron demanded.

"I don't know," Blaise said again.

"Does Draco Malfoy have anything to do with Dark Prince Charming?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Blaise shuddered.

"Is Hermione Really Sick?" Harry blasted in Blaise's face.

"No," Blaise shuddered again.

"Is she with this Dark Prince?" Harry snarled.

"Yes," Blaise said shuddering with each answer. Cursing to himself he knew this puzzle was coming apart at the seams.

"He's going to hurt her!" Ron spat out.

"No," Blaise answered despite himself.

"SHUT UP!" Ron came across the room and clocked Blaise hard in the mouth, sending spit and blood flying. "You arrogant son of a bitch! You got our Hermione in with a Slytherin!"

"No..." Blaise said, spitting the blood out of his mouth onto the floor.

"Who bought Hermione the cloak?" Harry asked.

Blaise shook in the chair, biting his lip hard enough to draw more blood. " I.. I. I did..." he said between clenched teeth.

"WHY?" Ron snarled balling up his fist again.

"He asked me to buy it, gave me the money..." Blaise shaking trying to fight the serum.

"I'm gonna kill 'em 'arry... " Harry had to restrain Ron from hitting him.

"Let's get our answers first," Harry was very close to hitting this guy himself.

"Same with the wand?" Harry asked.

"No," he shuddered again.

"Who bought the wand?" Blaise didn't shudder this time.

"I don't know," he answered. "Get off of me Potter, I'll have the entire house up on this!"

Blaise's face was starting to swell now where he had been hit. His lip was also swelling because of his chewing on it.

"WHY DOES HE WANT HER!" Ron screamed throwing another punch into Blaise's gut.

Blaise doubled over whispering his answer as he did... "Because... he... loves... her.."

"YOU LYING SACK OF SHIT!" Ron's jealousy boiled over into his fitful rage. Ron found himself as he started tooling on Blaise, Harry had to pull him back yet again, but not before Ron managed to kick over the chair forcing Blaise's head against the floor. Harry hauled Ron off of Blaise, and warningly put him on the other side of the room. "YOU SLYTHERIN BASTARD!"

"Cut it out Ron, killing him won't help Hermione!"

"Jealous Weasel?" he snarled wearily. "And I thought Death Eaters were the enemy... I can see Gryffendor is just as much an enemy... I see it so clearly now... "

Harry righted the kidnapped Blaise in the chair. He forced another bottle of vertiserum down Blaise's throat.

"I've had it with your dodges. How do you know this Dark Prince?" Harry said angrily.

"He's my friend," Blaise answered.

"But you don't know his name?" Harry bellowed.

"No," Blaise answered remotely.

"Where is the bottle with the memory of who the Dark Prince is?" Harry asked. Blaise had removed it from his memory, that much was clear now.

"In the Head's Common room," Blaise shuddered. "Under guard."

The door to the room of requirement opened, and Ginny stepped in.

"OH MY GOD! HARRY, RON! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" she screamed running over to Blaise. "Blaise! Blaise! Are you alright? Oh my god!"

"Not really," Blaise answered like a robot. Ginny surveyed the room and glared back at Harry and Ron.

"Get out!" Ginny screamed. "Get out now!"

Harry and Ron looked at Ginny. "He knows about Dark Prince Charming, and he's ..."

Ginny didn't let Harry keep going. "This is how you deal with something that makes Hermione happy? Damn you Harry Potter! Get out of here now! Ron I am writing to mother about this!"

"SHUT UP! HERMIONE MIGHT BE IN REAL TROUBLE!" Ron screamed at his little sister.

"So tying down the Head Boy and beating him to a bloody pulp is going to fix that? Damnit Hermione is happy! Leave her alone!" Ginny screamed. "GET OUT!"

Harry looked to Ron, and Ron glared at Ginny.

"And vertiserum..." Blaise sputtered.

"That's it, I'm turning the two of you into MacGonagal," Ginny was seething. Anger rolled off of her in waves, evil glares at the two boys was nothing compared to what might be coming. "Get out."

They turned, defeated, and left the room.

"Blaise, can you stand?" Ginny asked softly looking over his wounds.

"No, I am tied to a chair," Blaise answered still under the strong influence of vertiserum. Ginny had to stifle a giggle even though she knew it was the serum talking. Ginny released his bindings and assisted him out of the room and down to Madame Pomfrey.

"Harry, we're done for now.." Ron sighed. "We'll get expelled for sure."

"They won't expel us," he said darkly. "They need us here."

"They need YOU here, not me!" Ron whined.

"I want that bottle. Let's go," Harry said turning up the stairs to go to the Head's Quarters.

"Harry! We're already..." Ron stopped his whining realizing nothing was going to stop Harry right now. He was on a mission, and if they wanted to complete it, they had to act now before Ginny got to MacGonagal or worse, his parents.

They made their way to the Head's portrait. After several tries, the portrait locked them out entirely and had MacGonagal notified.

The message would never get to her though...

The freezing walls stopped all motion on the portraits...

"RUN RON!" Harry screamed.

And run, they did.

In Hogsmeade, the alarms sounded. The Death Eaters were making their move. The city had been visited by them once already, but it ended almost as fast as it started. This time, there would be no escape. The Floo system was shut down, all trains were stopped and reversed away from Hogsmeade. Schools other than Hogwarts were sending their students home. Hogwarts couldn't send it's students home. They were already under attack.

Draco watched in horror as the Death Eaters decended onto the school grounds. Everyone he knew was in there. And the dementors were going to have their delights at long last to taste the innocence within the long protected walls. But someone had let them in again. Someone had betrayed all whom lived within Hogwarts, friend or foe. All for the sake of the Dark Lord's favor, these people were going to die.

He remembered his fateful day with destiny, when he could not bring himself to kill Dumbledore. To see the tall frame of the man he knew even below the mask and cloak, Severus Snape, turning on the students he once taught was enough to break any man. His mother and father would also be here, even if they would not sully their hands in the killing of all that stood in their way of attaining power.

If Draco were within the walls, he surely would end up dead in a Dementor's Kiss. He had failed the Lord, and although the job was done, it was done by the wrong hands. It didn't play into the game to have Severus to be the one to kill Dumbledore. And because he hadn't done the killing himself, everyone inside was now dying. And he was sure, that if he remained here, he would soon join them.

Draco adjusted the shadowed cloak, and turned, walking away leaving his nightmare behind him. Some would have called it cowardice, some would have said by siding with neither side, that he had made his choice to serve Voldemort, not fighting him. And as tempting as the Dark Lord had been in his youth, he could not see the purpose of the wanton killings of the people he once harassed and kept angry with him at all times. He was not a coward, he just had more important things to save, and the battle was just beginning.

He would have the ultimate success over Voldemort, he just had to be patient and wait his turn. Today was Harry's attempt, his success would come later.

Hermione wandered within the room for a while, before her cloaked lover came for her to join him for the mid day meal. He tenderly fed her strawberries and cream, sweet breads and all the cheesecake she wanted. He ate little, he had little appetite for the confections on the table.

After lunch they dueled, and Hermione found herself the sore loser on that one. She had managed to whisk his wand away with the proper dueling spells, but found herself pinned when he started waving his magic around with fluent waves of his hands.

"Hand magic?" she gasped.

"Ancient Chinese Secret," he mocked.

"I want to learn!" she laughed as the pressure from her holding spell dissipated.

"Very well," he said softly.

After hours of tutelage, Hermione was beginning to see what was so beautiful about the teacher before her. He was dark and mysterious, dangerous and yet tempting, all the things a girl a little younger than herself dreampt of. The first spell she actually succeeded in casting without her wand felt like liberation from slavery.

He explained how wizards had over complicated magic, to build status for themselves they made spells more and more complicated, more and more tools were needed. But in reality it was all show and glamour. In reality magic was never truly ever harnessed, it was something that came from within. It was something that was in every living being, and even in many dead beings. Wands were just a wizards way of showing his status in the world. How many different ways could a wand be concealed, how expensive was your wand, how long was your wand. It made Hermione laugh when she realized he was right. A wand 6 inches or 14 didn't matter. It was all in the wrist.

"Arcanum," he said, "is the power of being able to harness magic without aid of a tool of some kind. But if you are having doubts or you are tired, you don't need a wand. Pick up a stick, a chair leg, a fencing foil. All in all they all did the same thing once realized that the wand is not needed, it's all fluff."

"Why do you call it Arcanum?" she asked softly.

"Did you not read the book I gave you?" he shook his head.

"Well yes, but it didn't explain what Arcanum is," she huffed.

"Arcanum is the most arcane style of magic. It leads Gods, drowns rivers, levels mountains, it is all around us and we are made of it," he replied.

"A phillisophical Slytherin," she chuckled. "You must not show that much at school, or you would have two different reactions. Girls throwing themselves at you, or Draco tells you to stop being a soft little git."

"Yes, I guess he probably would," he chuckled. "Hexes come easier than spells do, but if you can harness the magic, you will be able to do any of it even without the words. The magic bends to the whims of those that understand it most."

"And how well do you understand it?" she was just joking around. "Are you on a first name basis yet?"

He turned from her and poised slightly, his long spindle fingers came up from his side in a noble and regal manner, gracefully as his head tilted to his fingers the wind spun around him like it belonged there, swirling around him in a pollen filled dust devil. His fingers came together and Hermione could feel the magic waving off of him in delicious pulses. His hand flicked open and the ground before him up to a good 10 meters infront of him tore upward, slamming down onto the ground upside down, revealing the roots of the plants that had once lived in that 30 foot radius. With the earth's reacation to his incantation, the wind followed the flick of his fingers. Hermione gasped looking at the recently tilled ground.

"My... by Merlin!" was all she could clamor.

"Now you try," was his dry response.

Blaise, Ginny and Madame Pomfrey moved rapidly away from the windows of the hospital wing. Ginny was just greatful at Blaise's stamina to have taken all of those healing potions one right after another, then run without losing his lunch. Death Eaters were swarming the building. And the fear in the building was running rampant. There was nothing Blaise could do as he covered Ginny's eyes and turned her away from the sight of Minerva McGonnagal being blown apart by an explosive spell. Her hat landing at Ginny's feet, pieces of hair still clinging to the once very stylish garment.

"Don't fight them Ginny, just move around them..." Blaise said, keeping a firm grip on Ginny's hip. The Death Eater watched as if in amusement as the two children and the healer skittered around him trying to get to one of the common rooms.

A flick of the wand, and Pomfrey suffered terribly as she was thrown hard against the wall. Ginny could hear bones crackling as the force was applied harder to the teacher's body. And it wasn't releasing. Ginny could feel the scream building in her throat, but a tight clamp over her mouth from Blaise was all she needed to be reminded not to upset the Death Eater before her.

"ADAVA KEDAVRA!" was heard from the far end of the hall, and green light began to fill the hall quickly. Blaise jumped crashing Ginny into the ground underneath him, smothering her in his body weight. Blaise felt like his guts were turning to jellybeans then rocks, then Blaise Zabini, felt nothing.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

Utter Demise

"Excellent Hermione," he allouded. "Let us try something different. I want you to try and summon upon an outside power source," he said leaning against one of the trees in his tuteledge.

"What kind of outside source?" she queried, still giddy from her recent successes.

"You've heard of summoning the four corners?" he bemused.

"Of Course I Have, any witch a year in Hogwarts knows that!" she threw her hands up in frustration at his cryptic nature.

"Summon from the Entities of the Corners, not the corners themselves," Hermione's eyes grew wide. "The corners are neutral, the entities within them although are very finicky."

"You can do that?" she stuttered

"No. I am afterall very male, and the goddesses don't answer my call, but they may answer yours. Do you know the chant to call them?" he stood strait now, adjusting his poet shirt's sleeve like it was the most interesting thing since pensives.

"I think so... " she worried her bottom lip a bit.

"Flow with the music in your mind, the music of the nature around you, seek it's power, but do not command it, ask it," he said pushing a hand through his hair. "If you master this, we can take a rest, it's getting dark soon. Dusk is the perfect time to learn to feel the auras of the entities of the four corners," he said as if he knew she could never truly fail.

Hermione let herself relax, clearing her mind as much as she could. Her hands splayed out, her fingers spreading as if trying to feel her way over a wooly animal of some kind.

"Isis," she whispered. She curled in one of her fingers.

"Astarte," she whispered. Curling in a second finger.

"Diana," her fingers danced over nothing, but a third curled inward to it's cradle in her palm.

"Hecate," a shiver passed over her spine, another finger curling in.

"Demeter," another finger.

"Kali," now even he could feel the darkness surrounding her. Another finger.

"Innana," the last finger curled, the wind zephyred over her hair. It was now or never, she would either reach them or she wouldn't. He watched as she drifted, her body swaying slightly, as if building power. A pulsing sensation ripped through the air, as if a melody had just turned into a heavy metal band. Then suddenly it was gone, in a flash she was just Hermione in the glade of Sakura petals blowing in the night's wind.

"I think I missed the mark on that one," her eyes closed thoughtfully.

"Why?" he asked.

"They asked if I was a woman, I was actually pretty put out by the question. I mean isn't it obvious I'm a woman," she started. "I said yes."

"Okay," he tilted his head slightly and furrowed a brow in thought.

"Then the black skinned woman with many arms.."

"Kali," he answered in her haste to explain.

"Right, anyway, she said that they were not needed here, and they left," Hermione quirked a brow.

"Ahh, they do not like to be summoned upon frivolously, even if just for training then," he replied sagely.

"Oh," she replied softly.

"Come Hermione, it grows darker, and I wish some time for us before we must return tomorrow. Tomorrow will be filled with enough questions. We'll try to meet to train these new skills as much as possible," he offered his arm to escort her back into the cabin.

"Such a mystery you are," she giggled and took his arm. Walking back inside to the warmth of the indoors, she realized exactly how chilled she really was.

He drank down another of the potions, his hour was up and he had to make it at least two more hours. As he did so, he smashed the glass of the Quidditch shop store front, taking the Firebolt out of the window. With a moment of silence for the dead shop keep, he straddled the broom and was off. Draco had to make it back to Hogwarts, it was time to make his stand. Mounting up on the Firebolt, he was gone, flying the winds fast and with little caution. This seeker would find it's prey and deliver it's package, to Harry Potter before Voldemort got that chance.

Severus found himself in a rather desperate situation trying to show down the new DADA professor. She had not only foiled his attempt at the Adava Kedavra, but had successfully managed to deflect just about everything that had been thrown at her and the students in her classroom.

What remained of Bellatrix lie at his feet. Blown apart with even more ferocity than was dealt to Minerva not too long ago. Severus was going to have to do something and do it quick. This woman was far too confident in her skills to have been taken so lightly by the little informant Slytherin that had given them much about her. The Ministry didn't have much on her either other than years of recommendations from parents of students she had home tutored.

Catherine Bruce was proving herself to be a fatal flaw in the plan of the Dark Lord.

The dementors refused to come near the room, and the wizards were ill prepared to deal with blue eyed, brunette that threw spells easier than she probably spoke her own name. She radiated and ancient power that Severus actually feared. Something akin to Dumbledore's power was loose and angry in the presence of a traitor trying to kill or maim her students. Her defenses in this room were infallable.

"You will leave, now," she said calmly, as her hand splayed out in dramatic flair at the greasy git she saw as nothing more than an inconvienience. The spell shot forth from her palm and he realized too late what he was dealing with. A pureblooded druid, for only they and a select few could cast with such accuracy the spell that shot him out the door of the DADA classroom sealing him from bringing harm at the same time. He was charmed and helpless to do harm unto anyone, even those that would bring him harm.

Severus made the decision at that moment, it was best to retreat for now, and report what had come to pass. Perhaps the Dark Lord could remove this charm, for he had never felt such a passive feeling in his life and it was truly unsettling.

A dementor floated to one of the windows, in it's mangled hand lie a simple rock. Without thought it threw the rock in the open window, without entering. Catherine gave a short relieved laugh and tossed the rock back to the dementor.

"Thank you friend," she said. And with that, the dementor left with rock in hand.

Hagrid set loose every animal in his care, shooing as many away as would go. The rest fell into the battle, fighting for the students they had come to love or hate. Hagrid was a menacing thing when he was angered, and right now he was fuming! His massive figure was a sight to fear as he came into the battle wielding spell after spell. As if his size alone dictated his power, he ruled the field for a long while before his two griffons grasped him in their taloned claws and flew away with their caretaker, effectively removing him from the battle. Hagrid wanted to protest, but he saw immediately why they had come, the dementors were retreating away from the school. And the Dark Lord was going to be making his big move soon.

"Blaise..." she whispered trying to push his form off of hers. Being a star bludger for the Slytherin Quidditch team didn't make him a tiny man. Infact he was heavy to her arms, even with all the brothers she had been raised with. Ginny finally gave a large shove, forcing the body off of hers. "Blaise..." she shook him, and he did not move. "BLAISE!" she shook him harder. Ginny didn not move. It was as if her body had ceased along with his. Harry would have been so disappointed in her, she thought to herself. But still she could not move.

Blaise's body was cold to the touch, but she held his hand. He had covered his body with hers to save her from the deadly spell cast, the unforgivable. She would not leave him alone now.

She sat for a long while. Blaise's body had gone stiff now, giving the illusion he was holding onto her hand. Ginny knew it was just rigor mortis, but still she sat unmoving in a hallway full of death, almost afraid that if she moved she would have to look at the other bodies around the room. And knowing they were there, and actually seeing them were two entirely different worlds all together.

"Ginny," the soft voice came from behind her. Ginny didn't look up just sighed. "Ginny this is no time to lose your nerve. Hold his hand tightly..." Ginny complied, sure that death was upon her. She felt two warm hands on her shoulders, and the magic flowed through her arms into Blaise's body. Blaise stirred, and Faulks flew away. Ginny refused to look from Blaise, as the hands left her shoulders and Professor's Bruce's skirts swished by her heading for the main entrance.

"They are retreating," she said softly.

"Yes, but they will return, they do not see this as a defeat," the whispered voice came from the shadows.

"Go then my son, warn me of their next attack," she whispered. "And for Diana's sake, be careful." Professor Bruce watched as the children of Hogwarts lie dead, dying or wounded strewn around the whomping willow tree. Many had been taken, those that were still alive and could be moved. Obviously meant to be used as assurance to some sort of plan of the Dark Lord's.

The night at Hogwarts went on painfully. Removing the dead, fending off the incessant verbal attacks of a very put out MadEye Moody. Fending off parents. Professor Bruce was at her wits end dealing with the wailing parents. She adored these children, but she absolutely could not stand the politcal bullshit of their parents. Everything was all about them, not their children. As if their children were little more than pawns in the game of Voldemort. There were reasons that he was "He who should not be named". They would have to look in the mirror at themselves if they gave that monster a name, and if it had a name, they might see a bit of him in their reflections.

The body of Draco Malfoy had been found atop the rubble of the North Tower, he seemed to have been duelling with a very powerful wizard and lost his hand to it. What had Bruce in a stupor was he had been apparently fighting the Death Eaters, not with them. All that remained recognizable of him was the Firebolt broom, his wand, and that Malfoy white hair crested atop his mummified corpse.

Draco wasn't such a git afterall, and it would absolutely devastate Hermione when she found out, unless she too was amongst the dead in the North Tower.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Holding Out For You

Delicately, his hands raised over her eyes, placing the soft linen over her eyes. He took great care not to catch her hair in the knot he tied in her blindfold.

"Calcify!" he said as the blindfold was hexed to staying where it was until he removed it. A simple hex that would wear out in 12 hours, or until he removed it.

His hands traced down her shoulders. His voice was still soft.

"Are you sure Hermione?" he said huskily in her ear.

"Yes," she whispered, as his arms traced down the length of her own taking her hands in his. His frame pressed into her back and he kissed her neck. She felt the change, his lips became softer, a little cooler. His long hair no longer tickled her side, she felt the callouses on his hands from consistant broom riding, his body was firmer than before. Strong muscles against her back through their clothing. She felt her wand slip in between her fingers.

His hands left her, slowly turning her to face him by the shoulders. Before taking her hands up again, holding the wand between them both.

"There is no witness," she whispered.

"Yes there is, he will leave as soon as this is done," he whispered back.

She nodded, holding the wand between them.

"By the way of the Unbreakable Promise, I swear to love you Hermione Granger, and if I survive the battle against the Dark Lord, I will cherish you, take care of you, give unto you all that my pureblood line offers," she felt the first fiery lash latch onto his arm. " I will see your safety, your happiness, your sorrows. I will stand by your side, through all that life may put us through. I swear I shall never knowingly or intentionally bring you harm." She felt the next lash latch onto his arm. "I bind my blood to you Hermione Granger. You are by far the most powerful witch despite your less than noble birth, it matters not. My blood shall be yours, and yours mine. This I swear to you." She felt the third lash latch onto his arm, the seal of the lion onto his arm. The Unbreakable Vow coursed into their veins, sealing it into eternity.

"It's your turn my love," he whispered.

"By the way of the Unbreakable Promise, I swear to love you, and if I survive the battle against the Dark Lord, I will cherish you, take care of you, give unto you all that my life offers," the first fiery lash latched onto her arm. "I will accept you, whomever your identity may be, I shall accept your love as my own accepts you. I swear I shall never intentionally bring harm unto you." The second lash gripped her arm. "I will accept your blood as my own, despite your noble birth, it matters not. My blood shall be yours, and yours mine, This I swear to you." She felt the third lash onto her arm, shuddering tightly as the promise was made with a brand she could not even see. A bond that sounded far more like marriage than it did anything else. But somewhere in her mind, she felt ... right...

He slipped the wand out of her hand.

After a very long pregnant pause, Hermione held his hands trying to formulate words. She had just given an unbreakable vow to someone she had never seen. But to what extent... his words and her own had been more like marriage vows than promises. It felt right. It seemed right. Just because her eyes had never seen him, she knew him. She knew his heart, his mind, his power. He was intelligent, witty, smart and tender.

"Share the bond of houses with me," he whispered, his lips touched her neck, open mouthed he kissed her lovingly.

"I don't know what that is.." she shuddered feeling his caresses.

"Marry me... now...," he licked up her neck to her ear. "Share blood with me. Let me give you everything..." He nipped at her neck, he had sharp little canines, nothing like vampire fangs, just sharp canines. He suckled against her neck.

"How does it .. marry us..?" She wanted to whimper when he removed his lips from her neck. "I share my blood with you, as you do me. Our houses shall be forever bonded to one another. Nothing can break it unless one of us dies, but you will forever be a .. member of my house... even in my death. I can leave you everything legally..." he kissed her lips lightly awaiting her response.

"I don't care about your money or status... " she shuddered. "No... I just want you..."

"Let me do this Hermione..." his kisses travelled up to her ear as he whispered over it's delicate shell. "Let me give you something to keep..."

"Yes.." she gave in. His arms wrapped around her, his fingers clasping into her hair in a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his lithe waist. His form shuddered slightly, his head heavy on her shoulder.

"Never will I leave you, even if I die," he whispered, she heard him sounding as if he were breaking apart inside in his soft whispers.

"What must I do?" she shuddered feeling his emotional breakdown. "Don't cry, this isn't over yet. Don't cry..." She reached up onto his hair, it was about shoulder length, long and strait.

Without a word, he picked her up bridal style and carried her some length into the room. Laying her down, she felt herself on the cusions again. The depression next to her let her know he was right next to her. He kissed her neck again, suckling against it leaving what she knew would be a mark later. Her lover loved to leave hickeys it would seem. He unbuttoned her blouse slowly, and pulled her arms free of it. Kissing slowly down her chest, to the lace of her bra he nipped lightly at the protruding buds of her breasts leaving her gasping for breath. He unclipped the front hooking bra and slid it away, never leaving touching her body in some way. She felt him depart only for a second, but his legs were still atop hers as the scent of his cologne filled the room again. She heard another piece of clothing hit the floor, his shirt was off. He pulled himself half on top of her. She gasped feeling his tightly muscled chest against her own. Rubbing her breasts against his chest he lightly ground against her side his lips touching hers ever so lightly, teasingly. She started to respond when she felt something metal against her neck. She froze.

"This is a small blade, but enough to inflict a deadly wound on your vein here. I will guide it to my own, you have to cut quick and sharp. When you do, I will do the same to you. If we do not complete the ritual, we will die right here in each other's arms Hermione."

"Once I draw the knife down, I will do the same to you. We must both be absolutely sure of this or it will kill us to do it. Do you have doubts my Swan? Do you doubt my love for you? If so now..." his words were cut off by a blind hand covering his lips.

"No doubts, just worries for you," she said softly.

She felt him nod against her fingers and she removed her fingers. "Once the cuts are made, we will bleed badly. Deathly so. Take my blood into your mouth, as I will take yours. As we do, you must concentrate on being one with me. Being the same as I. As I will do the same. Our blood will mix, and stay mixed. My power will be given to both of you, forever. And vice versa. You will officially become of my bloodline and I yours. It is a rite as ancient as the magics we hold Hermione. We are the children of this magic, and somewhere in your family they walked with that magic. Everything I am Hermione will become part of you, and vice versa. As an official member of my family line, I can leave you everything. Nobody can undo this. Not you, not me, not a death eater, not a dementor. "

"Why have I never heard of this..."

"Wizardry makes everything more difficult than it has to be, remember? There is no trust left in marriage, it's all politics. And the politics are that this type of bond was not needed anymore with arranged marriages and such. It's risky and dangerous. Arranged couples didn't trust each other enough to do this. And many died insisting on it," he kissed her neck again. "I trust you Hermione, let me give you this."

"I trust you," she whispered. He felt the knife being placed in her hands, as his body slipped away from hers, her jeans tugged as the button came loose, then the zipper. She gasped as he removed her jeans, sliding them down her legs making sure she could feel his hands against her thighs and calves until the jeans were gone. Then again removing her knickers, throwing them the same direction the rest of their clothes had gone. Then nothing. Silence. The sound of fabric moving, another piece of clothing hitting the pile of clothes.

"Have you ever done this before Hermione?" he said softly.

"Married? Oh sure, every day..." her nervousness was winning over in humor.

"Silly Swan," he whispered as she felt his kisses resumed at her ankles. Long languid kisses trailing painstakingly slowly up her legs. "No, this..."

She gasped feeling his soft lips caressing her legs. "no..." her tiny response came.

Slowly his kisses ascended up her legs, pushing her legs apart slowly. Hermione was blushing furiously, she could feel the intense heat in her cheeks as her arms crossed over her chest. Her womanhood exposed to his scrutiny, she felt so overwhelmed with each physical response her body was giving. Slowly she felt him spread her nether lips, his fingers touching ever so gently over her swollen lips, as they grazed over the delicate bundle of nerves her hips jerked in response. A mewl of pleasure escaping her lips.

Her blindness was only adding to how her body responded, making up for the lost sense with another. She felt his cool tongue drag slowly across that bundle now and her breath ceased completely. "Oh Merlin..." she gasped gripping the sheets tightly. Her arms now tensed as his tongue made another painstakingly slow sweep over her moist folds.

"I must prepare you then, for pain is something neither of us should feel this night. I will try to make it as pleasurable as humanly possible for you," he whispered as his tongue dove into her inner core. His thumb, or finger rotating small circles on her sensitive clit making her shudder and shake. Her breathing refused to follow proper order, exhaling when she wanted to inhale, inhaling when her lungs were already filled to capacity. She saw flashes of lights behind the blindfold, and her hands froze in white knuckled fists in the sheets.

His tongue left her core and she moaned to the loss, only for her to feel it again on her clit, licking upward strokes on it alone. She felt a single digit enter her tight core, then another causing her to moan extremely loudly, but the voice almost seemed to belong to someone else, far away. She was not in her body, she was somewhere in the land of ecstacy and Hermione Granger didn't exist right now. His fingers slowly spread her, stretching her gently. Her hips refused to obey the command to stay still and starting to slowly gyrate down on his fingers. Her body twitching and convulsing against his commanding tongue. Each breath he let out just causing her to shudder more. Her heat was hot and alive against his fingers, tightening and massaging them as he was pressing against them. A third finger and she could barely hold back, not for lack of trying.

Her legs came up around his head of their own accord, her hips pressing against him tightly. Her breath completely ceased and her hands held tightly to his head, fisting his hair.

Then the world collapsed, becoming flat and she was falling over the edge with half of the world's ocean supply, a cool wash of air as her body jackknifed in half backwards. The air she held escaping in a loud moan she couldn't have held back if Voldemort demanded her life or it. Her hands let go of his hair and pushed her body upward from the sheets forcing him to suck on her clit fiercely making her orgasm hang in the air like a poorly phrased question. It was a small death all it's own as the world left her in absolute bliss, her body slowly reclining to the bed, shuddering and shaking in the wake of her orgasm. Her limbs losing their bones, her body jello below his scrutiny. She could feel the heat radiating off of her body as she gasped for air, begging for it like a starving child wordlessly.

Slowly his fingers retreated and she moaned again.

"You taste delicious my Swan," he whispered. His hands placed at either side of her body as he crawled up her. She could feel the heat of his body, but not his skin, it was such torture.

"Are you ready for this? Once it's started, we cannot stop," he whispered into the air above her. She felt the tip of his manhood against her folds, positioning for the kill of her innocence for all time. She also felt the cool metal being put in her hand.

"I am ... ready.." she panted sofly. His hand gripped around hers as he raised the blade to his neck. She felt his hair being flipped to the other side of his head away from the blade. The blade pulled sharply, and she felt what she could only assume to be blood drip down her fingers and onto her stomach. He quickly took the blade from her fingers, and it pressed against her jugular vein. "Remember, I love you eternally..." the knife cut and she instantly felt it dripping into her hair, and a slight pump of it onto her own shoulder.

"I trust you," she whispered.

His body crashed down onto hers, his lips finding her neck as his hard manhood crashed into her body at the same time, shattering her virginity. She cried out shuddering against him as his hand fisted under her hair and lifted her head against his neck, she felt the warm fluid against her face and reality crashed into her mind like an out of control mack truck. Her lips latched onto the cut, her tongue seeking over it.

His lips latched onto her neck at the same time. Her arms held onto him for dear life as her lips suckled the wound on his neck. It was only then she realized he hadn't moved inside of her at all. His body was trembling with desire and need, yet he stayed still. Taking the needed air they desperately called in for through their noses, they suckled off of each other. The blood which should not ebb, should kill them both, felt like it was burning a path through her own veins. Recreating and destroying her all at the same time.

She felt the power ebbing and flowing all at once. Suddenly she felt everything around her, she felt alive, her heart pulsing in her chest.. or was that his... ? A feral growl escaped him as his hand fisted her hair, pusing her deeper against his neck. Her arms moved of their own accord and forced him against hers tighter. Images with no faces flooded her mind, painful memories without image, but pure emotion only filled her body and mind as if she was living them. Pain, regret, love, passion, hate, fear, anger, lust, hurt and resolve filled her all at once, and slowly began to die out.

She latched on tighter, sucking hard against his neck. The blood that should kill them feeding into one another slowly began to ebb away. The primal urge to stay alive, the power flowing through her. It calmed and soothed, peacefully making itself part of herself. Once the blood ceased, she began licking over the wound, it slowly healing. She could feel him doing the same to her own, and it made her shudder, and her hips bucked against him instinctively. A moan escaping she could not hold him back any longer, she had to have completion, to be one with him body and soul.

Obviously he felt her need, or his was just as great for he started grading into her womb, his girth was not small by any means. It stretched and pulled, her walls clasping him like a vice inside of her.

"Oh gods Hermione.. too tight... " he gasped as his pace began to pick up, thrusting into her then retreating almost completely out of her making her feel like her internal organs were being pushed and pulled with his motions. Her gut tightening with each dive into her body. His back arched so each thrust struck her bundle of nerves, sending jolts through her body. Her hips rose and fell to meet him through each thrust, unable to hold back the tide that was beginning to crest. The sounds of his abdomen striking against hers with every thrust filled the room. Her legs lifted above, curling over the small of his back, toes curling. Her nails dug into his shoulders as the twist in her gut built. Her body tremors were coming on again and the lights flashing behind her eyelids. Sweat covered her body, making them slick and slide against one another. His scent filled her nose, his skin complied with her commands with her fingers, her body trembled as his thrusts became more demanding. Moans filled the air as she felt the air shoved from her lungs with every thrust. She was panting, her head tossing while his body above hers on his hands, thrusting into her with every rippling muscle.

He pushed her body upward, thrusting deeply into her womb. She was resting on her shoulder blades, his hands pressed onto her thighs, holding her up as he came nearly to his knees driving in deeply. He struck the spot within her causing her world to topple over yet again, her shriek of pleasure ripping through the air as he lost his will to carry on and spilled his pure seed deep inside of her body. His body trembled as his member pulsed life into her womb, shuddering and shocking for them both, mind and soul as they felt each other's climax into oblivion.

She didn't know how long she was out, but when she awoke, he was lying next to her. An arm possessively holding her against his abdomen. His legs curled in perfectly behind hers, they fit together as a stretch glove does it's master's hand. She could feel his steady breath against her neck as he was obviously still sleeping. Her fingers traced over his arm relishing in the security she felt at this moment. Knowing it could end at any moment, she needed this right now.

"I love you..." she whispered.

"Mm.. love.. you..." he said, still sleeping. It brought an innocent smile to her face although the blindfold was still securely on her face.

She turned slowly, to face him. Her hands traced over his shoulders, to his neck where they had cut one another. A shudder passed over his body as she touched the area. There was nothing she could feel there, but it was sensitive. Then slowly up to his face. He had strong cheekbones, prominent and a strong jaw. His hair was soft and well cared for, even in his sweaty state. Her fingers trailed over his eyebrows and down over his ears as if she was studying him with her fingers.

"Hmm.. awake now..." he said softly. "Ugh... need shower..." he said softly.

She leaned in, and kissed his lips lightly. "Bath would be better, I won't slip in my blinded condition.." she whispered.

"As you command," he whispered jokingly and lifted themselves off of the bed gently guiding her to the hot springs.

The castle had been cleaned up. Ginny didn't let go of Blaise the entire night. Although he knew he had been dead, he hadn't really felt anything or remembered anything of it. It still shook him to the core. Ginny's presense was more than welcome. At one time, Professor Snagglehood had tried to pry them apart only to meet up with an angry end of Blaise's wand. Protesting something about he didn't care if she was a Weasley, she was staying by his side.

Snagglehood tried to explain the girls were sleeping on the other side of the Great Hall, and Blaise told him that one more move would get him sleeping with the girls.

Professor Bruce ushed off Snagglehood, telling him soundly to leave the two alone. Comfort found where comfort could be, they should be left alone. Snagglehood couldn't fight with that.

Of the more than 1500 students, 280 were found dead including Draco Malfoy who was not technically a student but admittantly was receiving tutoring from Professor Bruce to keep up his studies while he was out of school, and Ronald Weasley. Another 219 were missing, presumed captured by Voldemort, this number included Hermione Granger.

Harry was distant, sitting behind Ginny and Blaise. There was no jealousy to be found where Ginny's mind was right now. Death plays aweful games with the heart and mind and she needed to make sure her savior was alive and she wasn't dreaming. Harry just comforted as best he could with gentle hugs to her and assuring words in her ear when she needed them. Harry let his tears slip, he knew this wasn't over. Voldemort wasn't angry, he hadn't failed in whatever it was he wanted to accomplish.

Aurors scoured the grounds of the castle, and the wreckages for the bodies of the Death Eaters. So far they counted 25 dead, but those were only the ones they couldn't carry away. It was probably a higher death toll than that, but Death Eaters usually toted away their dead to conceal how many actually were no longer among the living.

Bruce put up her strongest protection spells. Sheilds, barriers, bindings all around the Great Hall. Parents that gave a damn were coddling their children. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were trying to be comforting, but it appalled Bruce that they were more comforting toward Harry than their own daughter. And people wondered why she never took up that Ministry position...

MacGonnagall had been resurrected by the mighty phoenix Faulks. But she wasn't exactly as sure of herself. Can't blame her though. She was in no condition to be taking charge of the school's situation. Pomfrey had been a different matter, there was no bringing her back. The new potions teacher had what students had a mind about them helping him with medicines and healing salves for the injured and sleeping droughts for the others. They all needed rest, except Catherine Bruce. She didn't require sleep anymore. She didn't require dreams. And when she allowed herself them, it was always just painful memories of the past.

"Cheesy Poofs," she whispered as the gargoyle slid out of her way revealing the spiral staircase up to the Headmistresses office. She ascended the stairs and into the office she went. It was one place still untouched thanklessly to that stupid password that changed all the time.

"Wake up Dumbledore," she said rapping on the frame of his portrait. "I don't know how you can even think of sleeping right now!" she snapped at him. "What were you thinking!"

The image snorted awake, rubbing his eyes and looking down at the woman who had rudely awakened his portrait slumber. "Ahhhh Catherine, so nice to see you!" She was less than impressed, Albus coughed and put his serious tone on. "Whatever do you mean by 'what was I thinking'?"

"Draco," she crossed her arms. "Did you think I wouldn't hear about your death?"

"Oh no, of course you would dear," he said quietly. "That's why I asked you to come here two years ago. But that's not important now is it."

"You knew then?" she crossed her arms.

"Hindsight is 20/20. I didn't know that Snape would fall into this," he sighed. "Otherwise all would have been fine."

"I tutored him you know. He's got a strong heart.. .. had a strong heart," she sighed looking away from the portrait.

"No dear, Has not Had," he replied. "Now you know as well as I this isn't over. But you have to look beyond just Harry Potter on this. There is so much more to it than him alone. He's important, but he's not the savior all of wizardry would like him to be. He's simply the Boy Who Lived, and may not even be the chosen one. I cannot see such things anymore," he said sagely.

"Draco Malfoy was written off as dead before sundown today. His body was found on the North Tower," she sighed.

"Well that does propose a problem then, doesn't it? That means all the Malfoys are dead now doesn't it?" he bemused.

"I don't know. Minerva keeps muttering about Hermione, saying she wasn't here. Minerva can't get a whole sentence together but she can state that Hermione wasn't in the tower. They are clearing the rubble now and already found Draco and Ron Weasley," she curled a finger into her mouth, tears would just not do.

"She isn't on school grounds, I can tell you that," he replied. "I believe... " he closed his eyes in thought. "Ah yes, she's attending a wedding."

"She didn't have clearance to leave school grounds," Cathering perked up an eyebrow. "Albus, what are you up to?"

"I am hanging about five feet off the ground actually. I must say I know not what you are talking about dearest Catherine. This had no hand in it by me," he replied cooly. "This had someone greaters hand in it. Now do be a good girl Catherine, and go to that rubble and find yourself there a black journal. It should say, DPC in the lower corner. Take then a quill to the first page and write all that has occurred in it. Then burn that book. With it, burn your sorrows and get back your strength. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a nap calling my name."

Without ceremony Albus promptly went back to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

Thresholds of Pain

She awoke to the sound of the shoji opening and closing again. She covered her chest in the blanket and bolted upright. The blindfold fell away from her eyes and she had to blink to adjust to being able to see again.

"Where are you?" she shuddered whispering.

"Right here pet," he whispered from the opposite wall of the door that had opened. She turned to see him back in his charmed appearance.

"Who? Who just left here?" she shuddered pulling up her knees.

"Our witness," he said quietly.

"They were here the whole time?" she brandished a crimson blush over the entirety of her upper half.

"Not inside the door, no. They were just outside," he said softly. He moved across the space to her.

"They needed to be close enough to sense the magic. And he was in the room for the Unbreakable oaths. Other than that he was outside." He chuckled. "I would never make you bare anything to a stranger as such, afterall, you are my wife now."

"Wife... I like that," she smiled. He looped his arms around her waist from behind her and sat down behind her body and massaged her back.

"Are you in any pain?" he whispered softly, his charms were back in place and her blindfold gone. They were both in the hot spring after a glorious restbit of bathing one another, Hermione was completely content at this moment.

"Surprisingly, I am not," she said softly pulling herself into his arms.

"Why did you not ask who I was the day I took the vertiserum, truly?" he asked into her ear.

"If I had known and was captured again, they would have killed you," she pressed her back against his chest, pulling on his arms to wrap her up in their warmth again. He gladly complied, resting his head on her shoulder. "It was the least I could do, if all I could do was to maintain your anonymity." He chuckled.

"How very Gryffendor of you," he whispered, kissing the silvery mark on her neck, sending shivers through her spine.

"Are you always this much of a romantic?" she nuzzled against his face.

"Absolutely not," he chuckled. "I've been a royal prat to the ladies actually, even those within Slytherin. But they deserved nothing better of me."

"Well, I can definitely rule out Crabbe and Goyle then," she laughed.

Again, and again, he took her. Sometimes gently, lovingly. Other times he was hungry, needy. He seemed determined to show her the entire spectrum of his emotional capability in this one day. Everytime she was sore, or tired, he let her sleep and used salves to heal her overwracked body. He could not lavish her enough in his affections, and by the end, they were out of words. Only deep stares boring into one another's souls were necessary to portray the emotions welling and overflowing their bodies' capacities. She had lost the blindfold somewhere midmorning, but his charms for his disguise were already back in place.

Without saying a word, he pulled out another very small laquered black wooden box. He presented it to her putting the box into her hand.

Wordlessly she looked to the box, then to him. Slowly she slid the box lid open to reveal two platinum or white gold bands inside. One obviously a man's, the other a woman's. Her eyes glittered looking upon them. They were not fancy, they were not gaudy or huge. Just plain bands. Simple.

"For something as complicated as we are," she whispered. "These are perfect."

He slipped her ring out of the box, and took her hand slipping it onto her finger. She inturn did the same, sliding his onto his finger. As soon as it was in place, she felt a small shudder pass through her body.

"I'll always be able to find you now," he whispered.

SLAM! Hummm hummm hummm...

Hermione jumped out of her skin at the loud noise, DP's eyes grew large and worried.

"What was that?" she said clenching the sheet to her chest. "Accio Wand!" Her wand flew from her robes to her hand.

"It's the journal! Someone is writing in your journal," he swallowed and got up quickly. Dressing he moved out of the room.

"It's gotta be Blaise," she called to him as he walked back in with his side of the two bound journals.

"No, it's not," his eyes were worried and wide. "Get dressed quickly!"

"Why?" she said getting her clothing. "Who is it?"

"Professor Bruce!"

The dust was thick still in the reconstructed North Tower. There were bits of broken furniture, burnt pages from books scattered about, the scent of death and fire clung to every corner of the tower itself. Sitting in what was once the Heads kitchenette lay the book. Dust covered but untouched otherwise. DPC enbossed on the lower right hand corner of the journal.

Professor Bruce moved quickly out of the tower to the nearest classroom to obtain a quill and ink.

_To Whom This May Concern:_

_On behalf of the portrait of Albus Dumbledore, former Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Wizardry, I am writing to inform you that Hogwarts has been attacked by the Death Eaters. Numerous students were kidnapped or killed in the attack. Believing this book either belongs to Hermione Granger or Blaise Zabini I believe it is in your best interest to know that Hermione is counted as one of the missing. Blaise Zabini is resting comfortably after sustaining life taking injuries healed through phoenix touch. _

_It is also in your better interest to know that your immediate return to the school is necessary to ensure the safety of the students if you are indeed a student. If you are a teacher it is even more imperitive that you return immediately. _

_It is believed that the attack was completed. It is believed at this time that they will attack again at any time. It is advised that if you are student that you return to your home or get as quickly as you can to the Great Hall where the necessary spells are in place to protect you._

_If you are neither of these, it is imperitive that you stay away from the school at this time. Do not be a hero trying to find Hermione. Let the Aurors do their job._

_Signed,_

_Professor Catherine Bruce_

_Defense Against the Dark Arts_

_Hogwarts _

She closed the book and tucked it into her cloak before retreating to prepare for the next attack.

"Oh My.. God... " Hermione choked stifling tears that threatened her eyes.

"Come on!" he said firmly grabbing her hand. His voice was so familiar. She had heard it definitely before. But where? It sounded so wrong coming from the lips of the person before her. No time now to figure that out. He half pulled, half dragged her outside and they deapparated.

Hermione almost choked looking upon the grounds of Hogwarts. The whomping willow lay missing most of it's branches. They were blown off to protect something, by powerful spells. The air clung with the sulfuric smell that came with many Adavera Kedevara's having been cast. Pieces of black cloth lay here and there. Hermione swallowed hard not to throw up.

"Get to the Great Hall Swan! GO!" he yelled at her. She didn't move, she seemed frozen. "DAMNIT GRANGER! MOVE!" He pushed her from the back of her shoulders forcing her to cross into Hogwarts grounds from the forest. It was forceful, not loving, not tender. It seemed to break the reverie, and with a look over her shoulder at his face she saw fear in those deep azul orbs. She turned and booked across the grounds toward the main hall entrance.

She looked as she opened the large door, over her shoulder to see him one last time as he walked deeper into the woods, she entered into the depths of the mighty school of Hogwarts.

Azkaban lie dormant and empty. Everything inside it was now out. Not even a lone dementor remained. The walls smoked, the fires raged as the prison burned. Raised by the hands of the prisoners that once lay within it. Never again would such a prison cause such inconvinience or misery. It had outlived it's usefulness to the Dark Lord. Not to mention, the Death Eaters that were just lying in wait inside were now free to join their Dark Lord's armies.

Malfoy Manor was ablaze. All the help shuddered fearfully on the lawn of the grounds watching the magnificent manor with generations of Malfoy Family Heirlooms burning. It burned high, with a magical fire that was no accident. It had been intentionally burned, either to hide something or to destroy something was anyone's guess but that fire was meant to consume all it touched. Removing all signs that the Malfoy family ever held reign in the magicking world. Saint Elmo's Fire they would call it, cleansing the world of it's dark taint.

Hogsmead was not that bad off. Granted the Dementors had run amouk, but the stores and their occupants took very few casualties. Mainly the ones who died were the ones that refused to run and hide. The ones that dared to fight. Bodies of those fallen heroes were now being prepared by those who cowered behind them.

Lucius Malfoy relished in the town's misery. Such easy control taken over such an important city. The Dark Lord was surely pleased. Death Eaters patroled the streets, ensuring the ultimate surrender. Finally there would be no more of this tainted blood ruining the magicking lines of families. He would personally ensure it. As soon as the carnage had been removed, the sorting process would begin of those bloodlines worthy to live and serve the Dark Lord. Then would come the destruction of that which had plagued them so very badly, removing them from the world that so deserved to be theirs, the damnable muggles.

Narcissa Black Malfoy stood at his side, a bit more for the wear. Lucius' cold heart didn't exactly get any warmer in Azkaban. And now she would have to live with that as a husband, and her sweet boy, was dead. Her home was destroyed, her name in ruins. Now all she had left was her pure Black blood, and she was sure the Dark Lord had intentions for that aswell.

Hermione ran into the school, pushing the doors open to the Great Hall her eyes filling with tears as she scanned mercilessly for her friends. She spotted Ginny and Blaise, then Harry leaning against one of the walls. She didn't feel her legs carry her, she was in shock and deftly numb at the moment. Too many emotions all at once flew up through her body making her body feel like it was seperated from itself. She flung herself against Harry and let herself cry. Let the emotions pour out in a steady stream of tears and guilt filled apologies for not being here. She should have been at their sides, and she wasn't. Her nerves were shattered, her mind blank, only guilt and sadness filled her body. Knowing the three of them were sitting here, meant that Ron was dead or one of the missing.

Harry coddled her in his arms, his own tears just perking behind his closed eyes. His head hurt, he could feel the Dark Lord's amusement at their suffering. He had broken the golden trio, and he knew it. Harry could do nothing against the darkness that was coming.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N Note: Thanyou for all the great reviews. Yes I will keep writing on this. I also have 3 other stories I am working on also. A Hermione/Draco called Everything I know, and 2 InuYasha Sesshoumaru/Kagome called Rise and Fall of the False God and The Accidental Seduction. I love mixing and matching impossible yet plausible pairings. To answer the first of my reviewers, the song in Chapter Four is by Breaking Benjamins, "So Cold". And I don't own that either. Thanks again guys!

And thanks to my reviewer who let me know about my terrible geographical error on Cathering Bruce's birthplace. She is indeed Scottish, not Irish and I will correct that error later.

Dianara

CHAPTER 10

Pulling It All Together

"Well, are we going to just sit here and wait for the inevitable?" Hermione said finally having poured the rest of her tears on Harry.

"What are we going to do? We don't even know where to start," Harry answered huffily.

"That's never stopped us before," she bemused.

"One of us has never gotten killed before, Hermione," Harry retorted.

"Well Ron wouldn't want us moping around here, that's for damned sure. Now we either get ready if we know he's coming, or we just sit here and wait to die? Not on my watch Harry Potter!" she said with determination.

Students all around them started murmuring about the loud conversation between Hermione and Harry. Zabini was completely aghast that Potter sounded so defeated, as even more was Ginny. Hermione got up, dusting off her oversized cloak and slipped her wand into her hand.

"Get up! All of you!" she snarled. "Get up!"

Hermione moved up onto the teachers stage and took the place where Dumbledore normally made his announcements to everyone.

"We have got two choices, and nobody will be considered a coward for not wanting to participate. Choice number one! Lay down and Die before Voldemort!" There was a collective hiss around the room and whispers as she announced his name. "Or we FIGHT!"

Catherine leaned back against the wall of the stage with a wry grin on her face.

Zabini stood. He had said nothing since he was resurrected, but damnit he was Head Boy and these children were targets. He stumbled up onto the stage.

"Fight.. or die," he said his voice rough and raspy. "I chose to fight."

The murmurs got louder, two Ravenclaws stood up, as slowly did all of the Prefects.

"Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight," they started chanting. More students stood. Then slowly teachers started standing. Slughorn moved next to Hermione and put a confident hand on her shoulder. Harry grabbed Ginny, pulling her up as he stood and joined in the chant. Parents started chanting in, and soon the whole room seemed to have the support. Only a few didn't join in, but that was probably due more to medical conditions than their frame of mind.

Hermione cut them all off from the extended morale rally

"We Need To Plan and We Don't Have Much Time! All those studying healing arts, meet with Slughorn in the Dungeon Slytherin Common Room! This will serve as our hospital wing! The Windows make it far too dangerous to actually use our hospital!

"All those with strong Defense training, meet with Catherine Bruce in the DADA classroom! Those with strong attack training, meet with Miss Catleray in the Dueling Quarters! Map Out Who Has the Strongest Skills, and Meet Back Here in One Hour! We'll Map Out the Plan From There!" Hermione sent them all skittering about to get to where they would strongest assist in the cause.

"Miss Granger, a word," Catherine said softly.

"Yes?" She turned determination burning in her eyes.

"You know that the Death Eaters are extremely well skilled and trained. You may just be running a fools errand here," she said quietly.

"Then we die, but we die trying and not waiting for our end to come to us," she said sternly. "I have a _family_ to go home to. I won't die without a fight!" she said with emphasis on the word family. "I have no intentions of letting those _things_ kill me today or any other day. Plus, I have a very distinct advantage over the sweet purebloods. I know some very conniving muggle technology we're going to put to use!"

"Very well, Blaise, you work up a plan with Hermione. I believe I have been given my own assignment to tend to," with that Catherine Bruce smiled and with a deep curtsey sashe'd out of the Great Hall toward her classroom.

"So if we..."

"And we could..."

"And then we wil..."

"And they could...  
"But that may..."

"Bugger..."

"Bloody 'ell..."

"Damnit!"

"Then there is always..."

"Okay then, we'll do it. And let us pray to Merlin for a miracle."

Hermione went over to the Room of Requirement, doing her paces infront of the door she opened it. Inside lay a bunch of books neatly stacked. Blaise walked in and they began pouring over the contents.

"You gotta be buggerin' me, making flash powder is that easy?" Blaise stuttered.

"Yep, time for things to get difficult for those bastards eh?" Hermione grinned.

Inside Hermione was a stressed mess. But she would not let her school down again. She would be here this time, and damnit they would pay for what they were doing to her friends.

"Alright, we have a plan, it's going to take all of us to pull this off," Hermione stated before the group of the strongest pulled from each group.

"Our plan of attack is that they need to keep thinking we are broken spirited. So everything has to stay absolutely covert," she said into the group.

"Co-what?" Neville asked.

"Quiet and a surprise Neville," Hermione translated. "Now..."

Catherine pulled out the black journal from her robes holding it in her hands. Without a word, she walked past the entirety of the student populus that was gathered here in the main hall. The preparations had taken hours to make ready, but every student had pulled together. It was truth that after this Hogwarts was more than finished. There would never be trust in these walls again for the students that once graced it's halls.

"Hermione, I need to speak with you," she said softly, rousing a sleeping Hermione.

"Oh! I am sorry Professor, I must have dozed off," she whispered using her fingers to fix her apparent bedhead.

"I believe this belongs to you," she said presenting the journal. Hermione looked longingly at the black novel sized journal. Her fingers touching over the embossment of DPC on it's cover. She curled her fingers around the binding lifting it from Professor Bruce's grasp. Without a word she just stared at the book as unshed tears formed in the corners of her eyes.

"Hermione, go write to him," Professor Bruce said tenderly. "Tell him. Don't let him just find you after the battle is over. It's not fair to him or you, especially if one of you doesn't make it out of this."

"You know who he is?" she gasped.

"No, I just know that look in your eye," she whispered. "Now go on."

Hermione didn't need to be told twice. She quickly started jotting in the book.

He pulled himself under the tree, watching intently around for a few moments before opening his journal. The words just kept flowing onto the page, she was distraught. He could feel that through their wedding band, but she was also determined. He read the words as they flowed onto the page, she would reach the bottom and start again at the top. Her words read like it might be the last time they ever got to write to one another.

_Dearest love,_

_We are prepared now. We know that he will be coming back soon. We know he's out to get at least Harry and probably me too. He probably already knows that Ron didn't make it in the last attack. I can't get into details, there are too many other things to say. _

_I want you to know that if I do not make it out of here, that I love you with every fiber of my being. Names? What are names? They are simply a tag we put on something to identify it. Words say so very little. I cannot tell you in words. But I'll try. In the Muggle world there is a song that keeps ringing through my head about us. If we survive this, I'm going to buy the CD and play it over and over for you._

_The words go like this:_

_There's another world inside of me,_

_That you may never see,_

_There are secrets in this life _

_That I can't hide_

_Somewhere in this darkness_

_There's a light that I can't find_

_Maybe it's too far away_

_Maybe I'm just blind_

_So hold me when I'm here_

_Rob me when I'm wrong_

_Hold me when I'm scared_

_Love me when I'm gone_

_Everything I am _

_Everything in me_

_Wants to be the one you wanted me to be_

_I'll never let you down_

_Even if I could_

_Give up everything_

_If only for your good_

_So hold me when I'm here_

_Hold me when I'm scared_

_You won't always be there_

_So love me when I'm gone_

_Your education x-ray_

_Lets you see under my skin_

_I won't tell you a damned thing_

_I could not tell my friends_

_Roamin through this darkness_

_I'm alive, but I'm alone_

_Part of me is fighting this_

_But part of me is gone_

_So hold me when I'm here_

_Rob me when I'm wrong_

_Hold me when I'm scared_

_Love me when I'm gone_

_Everything I am _

_Everything in me_

_Wants to be the one you wanted me to be_

_I'll never let you down_

_Even if I could_

_Give up everything_

_If only for your good_

_So hold me when I'm here_

_Hold me when I'm scared_

_You won't always be there_

_So love me when I'm gone_

_I don't know if you would like the music that goes with it, but I definitely loved the lyrics for us. I can't tell you enough how much I pray that miracles do happen, and I'll be in your arms again soon, that you are safe and that you are well. I know I'm wishing against all odds here, but I think of myself as a dreamer, and dreaming is all I have now._

_Ron, Seamus, Draco, Fleur are all dead. It tears me apart. You would think of those names that only Ron would truly tear me apart, but even the death of Draco tears me apart. He didn't kill Dumbledore. In that moment of truth I like to think he found his heart. He found that blood didn't matter. Magic comes as magic comes. Like you said, we make it all too complicated. Blaise was killed too, but Professor Bruce was able to resurrect him with Faulks. He's doing better now, it was the unforgivable that killed him. He was a mess when he came back. He used his body to shield Ginny Weasley from it. _

_I'm scared out of my mind. I've never been so unsure of myself in my life. It isn't so much for my life I fear, as I do for the heartache it will cause you if I do not survive and you do. _

_I cannot ever express how much I want you to know that you need to go on living if I do not survive. Do not pine away, do not stop loving, do not be afraid of the future. You're heart is so strong it's pulling me on to survive this. _

_Harry needs me to go finish some of the clean up. Never forget me._

_I love you so much, _

_Your Swan, Hermione_

He took in a deep breath, wiping away his tears. He had delivered her right into his hands, not realizing the attack wasn't over. And now she was writing about her impending doom to him. He took out the everending quill and let it write as he whispered to it.

_My Swan,_

_I will never let you go. And you are not alone. I'm right there with you._

_Your husband, DP_

He closed the book and tucked it back into his deep cloak pocket, praying the day would come soon when it vibrated to life again stating she was alive and well. That he could go to her, reveal all to her because he was forever gone from this world. He put away his quill. It was time for a little pre-vengence, as his prey walked across the street to where Oleander's wand shop once stood.

Pulling himself to his feet he walked across the street near the intended prey.

"Hello Professor Snape," he said in a low menacing tone. Severus lost all color before he even turned around to see his attacker push him into the now empty store. He had recognized that voice, and he knew his time was all done.

"It wasn't me! It wasn't my fault! It was Narcissa!" he screamed and howled his last, begging for his life, as he watched his own innards spill across the floor.

The sky over Hogwarts lost all light. The darkness seemed to well in every crevace of the old battered school. The portraits all chattered their warnings, all the birds were released from the owlry, sent skittering in all directions. The Aurors stood placed around the school grounds, ready to do battle. MadEye Moody made his presense known on the steps of Hogwarts, barking out the last of the orders.

MadEye knew this was a losing battle, but they would do their damnest to save these children.

The children inside were more like small soldiers. All armed with everything Hogwarts had to offer for it's defense. The protection spells in place, charms and more charms adorned the halls. They had all decided to dress out of uniform, in civilian clothing to make for a fast getaway if needed. They would be too easily spotted in their school uniforms. Only Blaise Zabini and Hermione Granger stayed in their Heads Uniforms and badges.

The dementors swooped down from the sky in mass. Petronus' were cast all over the school grounds from the Aurors trying to deflect them away.

On top of the Astronomy Tower Blaise took aim. He looked to Hermione for assurance as she took aim herself. In a moment it would be announced that Hogwarts would not go quietly into the night. The children of Hogwarts were going to fight. They would not just give in, tremble in fear or die without a hope.

Lucius Malfoy, David Grisham and Narcissa crested the hill near the lake, and looked across at their target. The giant castle seemed to loom in defiance as they waited for the dementors to do their job. The dark clouds overhead swirled in nothing short of evil. The Lord had not yet made his presence known, but they could all feel him near. The pulse of his darkness seemed enough to overwhelm any soul, yet these children were only strengthened in their resolve feeling the darkness.

**"NOW!" **was heard clearly through out the school.

Windows flew open, as if opening the castle to the onslaught of the dementors flying in at their new perceived opportunity to swallow as much magic as they could muster.

Hermione let loose her first barrage, pulling the cord that ignited the fuse. As the dementors approached, they did not see the windows lined in the bags of black powder. As the domino effect took place, blowing the bags up like chinese firecrackers on a string blowing away the dementors as they approached, causing pieces of their decrepped bodies to fall to the ground below, black cloth that carried the soulless magic eaters floating down to the ground.

**"NOW!" **was heard again, and all the windows snapped shut again. Leaving Hogwarts a castle needing more recognition as a fortress than it had previously been given credit for.

Lucius stared in awe at the mighty attack that took down the majority of their dementors. Petronus after petronus from the Aurors driving away the first onslaught of Voldemort's grand plan. They had been underestimated. He had never seen such explosive magics employed by mere children. He looked over at the two compatriots with him and then back at the battlefield. He knew Severus was missing from the group, he was supposed to report over two hours ago.

Narcissa's battered form looked upon the battle. The Dark Lord had decided it better for her bloodline to be removed from the Malfoy influence and that Grisham would be a far better bloodline to create an heir to his mighty domain with. Lucius was given Sylvia Black, here from the school, the other of the last living Blacks to procreate with.

Already the Dark Lord was having his seeds for the next generation sewn. It didn't have to be willing, it didn't even have to be nice. As long as no permanent damage was done to cause the female to not be able to procreate his pure race, he didn't care. And frankly, neither did Lucius. Azkaban had definitely warped his mind. There was no pride anymore, there was no mind of his own anymore, there was no conniving anymore. Just a slave minding his Lord. Just they way the Lord wanted it.

Drums sounded from the far eastern part of the lands near the Pitch. They sounded like battle drums, but Blaise recognized them for what they were. Dragon summoners. He looked to Hermione who still stood with absolute resolve. She nodded to Blaise who called down to the school again.

**"LET IT LOOSE!"** Blaise called. The Sonora charms carrying his voice as the children in the dungeons pulled the ropes set out from under the stands of the Pitch. The air filled with a purple haze, the wind carrying the haze upward into the sky. The summoned Horntails turned away from the substance, trying to find a way to circle around the foul smelling stuff. At least it was foul to them. Powdered dragonsbane actually smelled quite nice. What few dementors remained that had been denied the magic of the school quickly turned on the incoming dragons.

They didn't wait before unleashing the next wave of their attack. The darkened sky brought the next wave, cannon fodder. Wizards that hadn't exactly meant much to their Lord, sent in on brooms to cast their spells, as another wave of werewolves and death eaters rushed in from the trees of the Forbidden Forest.

Hermione pulled loose the next set of ropes at her disposal. The fuse lit on all four of the other towers before she and Blaise took cover. The fireworks shot up in all directions. Lighting up the night sky like day. Upward, downward, towards the sky, towards the ground the Roman Candle style fireworks blew in every direction. Many werewolves with their sensitive eyes had to stop and adjust their vision, allowing the Aurors a moment to get the silver dust into the air. The werewolves pulled back, but the fodder Death Eaters most ascertainly did not.

Lavender Brown popped her head out of the Dark Arts Class window, bow in hand. The flaming arrow jutting just slightly out of the window pane.

"EAT THIS YOU SACKS OF SHIT! THIS IS FOR RON!" she screamed as the arrow flew out to the hole at the base of the Whomping Willow.

For a moment there was nothing, and all inside the school held their breath. They couldn't afford another shot, and Lavender was indeed the best at archery with the enchanted bow Professor Bruce had provided.

Suddenly the earth started to shake, smoke poured out from under the old willow tree. Fire erupted out of the ground loudly and with no time to really react with apparating out of there. Suddenly there was a blinding light, all covered there eyes and took cover from the windows as the ground shook mercilessly. Things crashing against the windows and sides of the building gave testiment to the explosion that wiped out the eastern field and about 15 acres of the Forbidden Forest with it. Now the East was temporarily clear, they could worry about elsewhere. All Death Eaters had ceased their advance, not knowing what to expect next.

"Master of the Wild Hunt, Hear My Call," she said, her arm sweeping over her body loosely before flinging eloquently up into the air. "Bring forth the hunt upon mine enemies, bring forth my rage, my anger, my outcry for justice."

Smoke erupted from Catherine Bruce's hand upward. The ghastly image of a masked, muscular man erupting in a form only made of smoke. His helmet one of death, the reindeer horns that adorned it showing his ties to Mother Earth herself. The smoke seemed to cradle around his body as it started to take shape. Wolves, not like the ones you would find in a forest, but monsters of smoke, with teeth made of man's ire, and eyes made of man's greed.

Once formed, she pointed to her enemy. "All who bear the mark of the Dark Lord shall suffer!"

The wolves tore out of the cloud of smoke, as the Master mimicked her motions. Running to the west, the wolves tore apart any living thing in their way. Ripping through bodies like they were merely pieces of a kill leaving nothing but death in their wake.

A few of the more brazen Death Eaters took aim at the large apparitions to find they had no effect on them whatsoever, no matter what spell was cast. A few others took the hint that the wolves could not be stopped this way and tried to attack the large apparition over Catherine Bruce's head, again to no avail. It was not until it was too late that they realized the only way to stop this onslaught was to stop Professor Bruce. And by then she had taken cover, letting the Master of the Hunt to his own will as the wolves tore out to the West, over the gardens toward the Pitch.

Cries of agony came from the northern field. Thousands of spiders had worked their way from the Forbidden Forest onto the grounds of Hogwarts, disturbed by the destruction of the forest nearby they were not to be denied. Aragog's children were hungry, and today, werewolf and Death Eater were on the menu.

Hermione and Blaise looked out over the battlefield, very satisfied thusfar. The school had not been penetrated yet, it was time to unleash another onslaught of muggle weaponry against their foes. The southern outer wall had been penetrated, but they weren't worried about the wall, they were worried about them getting to the school. She worried her bottom lip a bit as the Death Eaters struck the trip lines lain very carefully across the southern grounds. Each one setting off another explosion, these "pipe bombs" Hermione had read about when they had caught the UniBomber. And now she was putting the information to excellent use. Shrapnel made up of everything from glass to nails dug into the bodies of the Death Eaters that were fast trying to approach. It was only after a majority had been killed that they realized they were standing in a literal mine field of invisible trip wires.

Those with sense aparated out of the field of death.

Those of the Death Eaters that actually made it to the windows or walls quickly found themselves wishing they hadn't as out of the battlements came scalding hot oil poured down on top of them. Another lesson Hermione took from reading War and Peace one too many times. The ones covered in the greasy goo that had been concocted by Slughorn's hospital crew were quickly ignited with fire spells, a first year spell, by students probably a quarter of their age.

Lucius looked back to his compatriots again, to see that one of them was definitely amongst the missing. David Grisham no longer stood at his side, his eyes turned back quickly looking about for the man not to be seen.

"Where is Grisham?" he hissed at Narcissa. Narcissa's only answer was a defeated shake of her head.

"Well well well, come to gloat over my grave Father?" the dark and hard voice came from every shadow. Narcissa's eyes grew wide, and all color drained from her face.

"Draco?" she whispered looking about frantically.

"Not really mumsy," she felt a hard kick to the back of her knees forcing her down on all fours. "Your precious Draco died the day he was betrayed by the Dark Lord."

"Come out here boy," Lucius snarled. "Our Lord wishes to see you."

"Oh I am sure that he does, Daddy Dearest, but I'm afraid I can't," the ghostly image appeared near his father. "I can see that Azkaban did nothing for your pale complexion Father. Tell me, was Sylvia a good fuck Daddy? Did you see mumsy's face when you shoved your cock in her so hard she bled?"

"TRAITOR!" Lucius screamed coming at the boy with wild eyes, only to pass completely through the ghost before him.

"Tsk Tsk," Draco purred. "I took the liberty of passing through Sylvia's womb for you. Can't have insanity like yours breeding Father."

Everyone knew what happened if a pregnant woman passed through a ghost. The child would be affected greatly, and if the child was not yet developed it would surely terminate the pregnancy for sure.

"NOOOO!" Lucius screamed. "GO AWAY!" Lucius waved a very shakey wand at Draco.

"What are you going to do Father? Crucio me? Avada Kedevra me? Imperitus me? I am beyond your reach now Father." The ghost purred quietly. "Nothing you can do to harm me now." With purpose Draco's visage shoved a hand into his mother's belly, ghostly passing through the flesh.

"Oooh Mumsy you tricky girl," the visage grinned. "You weren't pregnant at all... you smart woman."

"WHAT?" Lucius was almost beyond words now.

"There is no seed in her body, seems somebody around here is shooting blanks or didn't do the deed at all," the ghost purred. "Mummy, you are a bad traitor, you know that?"  
The very word seemed to send Lucius into a frothing fit. No dignity, no poise, no eloquence. He was a raging animal against bars of steel that were quickly losing their strength to hold him back.

"You see Mum. If you had just told the Dark Lord no, I'd still be standing by your side in the flesh," Draco purred again. "But you didn't. You got that bastard Snape to kill Dumbledore. And I was outcast! I died protecting the only thing that had ever been loyal to me! Hogwarts!" Draco snarled and the temperature in the area dropped suddenly about 20 degrees. Narcissa whimpered and whined against the cold, reaching out to her son like he was a life preserver aboard the Titanic.

"YOU, YOU TRAITOROUS BITCH!" Lucius wailed. "HE WAS MEANT FOR THE DARK LORD! NOT YOUR PETTY WANT TO BE A MOTHER!" Lucius raised his wand and the visage faded away just as the green light shot out of the end of the wand in Lucius' Unforgivable Adavera Kedavera.

Narcissa bucked and twitched, her body writhing as death took a completely evil grasp over her body. Lucius was truly insane, and his mind and thought were truly exactly what the Dark Lord wanted. Molded and pliable to his every whim.

A flash of silver was all that Lucius would see as a cold blade protruded from his chest forward. The sword he recognized as the one that hung above the fireplace. The soul stealing runes glowed brightly as his pure blood flowed down the length of the blade. Left in place, Lucius faltered, slowly turning with the last of his life energy to look upon the face of his attacker.

"Bye Father"

The onslaught was draining on all the students. The last wave of the attack came from within. From the shadows came numerous blackened cloaks. Students screamed and skittered in programmed, yet what appeared to be frantic locations trying to get out of the range of the Death Eater's wands.

They had finally made it inside the school. It was now time for Hermione and Blaiseto face the music.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

Battle of Wills

"Expelliarmus!" the faceless coward screetched and Neville was sent flying against the wall, wand skittering to the other side of the room. "Petrificus Totallis!"

"Finite Incantum!" Hermione yelled and Neville blinked slowly back into the motion filled world.

"Expelliarmus!" the woman screetched again.

"Refractomentum!" Hermione flicked her wand and the woman found herself to be the one flying instead of Hermione. With the Death Eater de-wanded Hermione set about her next attack. "Incarcerus Macillius!"

The Death Eater's eyes got as large as the mask she wore. The spirit cage that surrounded her was much stronger than anything Hogwart's taught! This was a senior level college spell! She wasn't going to get out of this with any ease, at all!

"Accio wand!" the woman's wand flew to Hermione's hand. She looked it over and her eyes narrowed.

"Well Bellatrix, it would seem your days are all done now." Hermione snapped the wand in two and threw the pieces into the fire.

Bellatrix wailed and screamed, but the spirit cage let no sound in, and also let no sound out.

With that, Hermione and Neville made for the Slytherin Common rooms.

"Well, well well, who do we have here?" the voice came from under the obvious portly man's hood. Blaise narrowed his eyes, his wand at the ready.

"Ummm... I'd... " Blaise said smoothly motioning a circling motion with his finger to get the Death Eater to look behind him. "turn around if I were you."

"HA! Right!" the portly Death Eater laughed outright. Then immediately shut up as two very large hands planted on each of the man's shoulders.

"Shulda nah talk ta Mista Zabini that way," the giant said before throwing the mad unceremoniously into the wall.

The Death Eater shook his head to clear it after hitting the wall, Zabini took no time to let him recover before casting his next spell.

"Petrificus Totalis!"

The spell bounced away hitting one of the portraits instead. A ward? Blaise pondered his next attack running to get behind the giant they all knew could take a shitload of spells before succumbing.

"Now now, dat any way to say 'ello?" Hagrid beamed and cast his own spell. And oinking sound emitted from under the cloak before a large portly pig ran out from underneath, leaving the cloak and mask upon the floor.

"CRUCIO!" the spell came out of nowhere hitting the giant straitout from infront of him. The female's voice that cast it was all too familiar to Blaise Zabini. Hagrid scratched under his hair, and then under his beard. It was an annoyance, and frankly didn't hurt.

"'Ello Miss Pansy," Hagrid said chuckling. "Good ta see ya a'gin!"

"Expelliarmus!" Blaise popped his head out from behind Hagrid and the girl went flying, her wand flying in a different direction entirely.

"I'll tie her up, ye git outta 'ere Mista Zabini," Hagrid strutted over toward Pansy's limp form on the floor.

Blaise ran to the Slytherin Common Rooms.

Neville burst into the Slytherin Common room, panting for breath and trying to talk at the same time. It never worked well for the overly nervous boy. Infact it usually came up that he never ended up saying much at all. He managed to get out "Herma... herma... cah.. cah... hurry up!"

Of course all were perplexed by that. Harry walked over to Neville and promptly smacked him across the face. Neville, like a broken record player than had just been kicked finally got out what he was trying to say in his stupor before to his shock now.

"They caught Hermione in the stairway! Hurry!" he spluttered out. Harry, Lavender and Professor Slughorn ran out of the portrait and up the stairs. There was no sign of Hermione, other than her beautiful silver wand glittering in the torchlight of the stairway. Harry picked up the wand and sighed. His headache was monstrous, but it was time. HE was here, and HE had Hermione.

Blaise came running around the corner and almost knocked all the two bewildered boys down the stairs. Wands out, they both took a strong defensive stance before realizing whom the other was. It was a Scooby Doo moment as they all breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Voldemort has Hermione," Harry stated plainly. "And, he's here."

"What are we waiting for then?" Blaise chimed in. "Let's go get the little Gryf back!"

Neville just looked at the two of them like they were nuts.

"Neville, go back to the common room, stay there where you are safe, you hear?" Harry said softly.

Neville didn't need to hear that twice. With a sharp nod of the head, Neville ran back down the stairs.

"Not that anywhere is really safe anymore," Blaise said after Neville was out of earshot. "Let's go. If Voldemort is going to make a grand entrance, he'll do it where he can have the biggest audience."

"The Great Hall," Harry spouted. And before either had a chance to say a word, they were both off running.

"Catherine.. you are truly turning into a pain in the asssss..." the snakelike voice came from beneath the heavily hooded cloak.

"Long time no see Thomas," she said cooly. Even though she was badly injured, having taken numerous Crutatius curses from the number of Death Eaters in this room, she still forced herself to her feet. Seemingly shaking the curse off.

"I believe you know your sssssssson..." Voldemort waved over one of the cloaks who removed his hood and mask. David Grisham stood beside Voldemort, an evil smirk on his lips.

"Don't bother with your petty summons Mother, I've already sealed the wards against them," David spoke coolly. "Why do you bother to carry that pathetic stick Mother?" He snarled. "It's not like there is anything in that wand to make it more than just a twig off of a local spruce tree." He was taunting his mother now.

"And you who always finds the shadiest side of the tree to stand on, son of mine," she said raising a cool eyebrow. "David you know they cannot kill me. Why do you encourage them?"

"Because it's fun to watch them try Mother," he laughed. "Now lay down your wand."

Catherine did not, she crossed her arms, making ready the next wave of attacks. Which did not come.

The doors of the main hall burst open and a couple of Death Eaters strolled in carrying one gagged and very hogtied Hermione.

"Ahhh. finally. It'ssss sssseems that you are too late. The last of the Golden Trio, that boy will be here soon. Make ready for hisssss arrival. He'll not be far behind Misssss Granger..." Voldemort hissed out the order and immediately the Death Eaters set to work preparing the onslaught of an angry Harry Potter.

"Nice ssssspeach by the way... fight or wait to die... how sssswweeet..." he hissed at her. "Quite a problem you are mudblood."

"Good!" she spat.

"Now now pet, play nicccee..." he hissed.

"No." her voice was flat.

"Crusssio!" Hermione felt her body lurch and convulse, the pain was absolutely overwhelming, her eyes wanted to roll up into her head, her fingernails were digging into themselves. The ropes that bound her felt like they were on fire.

"Now now pet, let ussss sstart over," the Dark Lord hissed.

"No…" she spat meakly.

"No?" he whispered coming forward, going to curl a finger under her chin to pull her gaze up to him. That was until a silver and green spark flew from her neck to his hand causing him to hiss and move back like something had burned him. "What isssss the meaning of thisss?"

"Surprise," she spat slowly erecting herself upright again from the floor. Trying to regain some dignity.

"Bitch!" He snarled.

"Well at least you can say that without lisping. Really Mr. Riddle, they do have therapies for such bad lisps. There are even Muggle surgeries for it now," she gave him an evil eye that would have made Draco Malfoy proud.

"We need a distraction!" Blaise said. "But how do you distract a room full of Death Eaters?" he sighed frustrated.

"Leave that to us," the strange metallic voice said from the shadows. Nearly Headless Nick and Draco appeared from the southern wall. Draco's aura wasn't as blue as Nick's was. And it wasn't nearly as bright as Nick's was. If anything, Draco looked more like a bad 20's movie with no sound and the blinking light because the film didn't roll fast enough.

"I'm going to need something from you guys though," Draco purred.

"What are you up to Malfoy?" Harry said incredulously. "I don't think we have time for games!"

"Damnit Potter we don't have time for this shit!" Draco spat. "Now, Nick and I will handle the distraction. Go to the Room of Requirement. My body is there. Get it and bring it down here!"

"Your body was on the North Tower! It's down in the dungeon now," Harry said.

"Bah! That wasn't my body, now go on!"

"So what exactly are you playing at for a distraction young master Malfoy?" Nick said softly.

"Oh I was thinking something along the lines of a food fight," Draco grinned mischieviously. "Shall we go get the House Elves ?"

"Oh indeed," Nick said tipping his entire head like it was a hat.

Harry and Blaise grinned and took off for the Room of Requirement.

"So Missssss Granger, you have found some way to sssseal my touch from you? How sssso? One mussst wonder how you accomplissshed sssuch a feat." He walked around her body, she sat kneeling, stiff as a board refusing to even give him a look let alone the time of day.

"I think you are missing the point here Tom," Catherine spoke up. "I think you are missing the fact that she couldn't have sealed your touch away," she scoffed. "She doesn't even know you, let alone have anything that personal to do such a charm. I can see your ego hasn't changed a bit. There is no man that can touch her right now, except for her husband."

"Hussssband? Misss Granger you are quite a little tramp aren't you…." Voldemort purred. "Now why would you go get a hussssband? Didn't you appressssiate the attention we gave you last?"

"Oh just bloody peachy," she spat. "Thankyou Professor Bruce. I truly needed the entirety of the Death Eaters to know I was bloody married!"

"Oh do calm down dear," Catherine said softly. "No use hiding it, he would have figured it out eventually."

"Maybe, if you give this sod any credit. I personally do not," Hermione said angrily.

A feminine figure moved forward in the numbers.

"No man may be able to touch her, but I can," she sneered.

"Oh do get off your high horse Miss Jenile, you can't even wand your way out of a wet paper bag, let alone throw a punch," Catherine spouted. "Really Tom is this the best you could do? Where are the mighty followers of the Dark Lord? You rely on a bunch of children? You truly are a coward," Catherine spat. "What's the matter, too busy destroying the muggle world to deal with the magicking one?"

"Now now Catherine, love," he said in a soothing and almost…. Loving? Tone? "Is it not you whom told me that children were the way to the future?"

"That was in answer to your question about my immortality, not about anything else!" she said.

"But I just wanted to repeat what hast it was you did," Voldemort's voice was slipping into normalcy. No hisses, no lisps, no sign that part of him was snakelike.

"No you don't. You have no idea what you are asking for. You think your half life you have now is bad? You have no idea what it is to live this way!" she snarled. "And do not call me love, you are not capable!"

"Ah but Catherine, to live it alone, it mussst be sssuch a painful thought," he laughed.

"I do not live it alone," she said smoothly. "You are but another in a long string of memories that I shall soon forget."

"Excuse me! We were pestering the mudblood, remember?" Hermione piped up. "Can we get this overwith already. If you are going to kill me Voldemort, can you get it out of your system already? If you aren't going to kill me, do you mind getting out of my way so I can attempt to kill you?" She laughed. "After all, you are the one distracted here." Her laugh caught his attention. As he turned, he found himself with a face full of rotten apple pie.

"My Lord, did you forget one of your most loyal?" Malfoy said as a torrent of rotten food began pelting the Death Eaters from all directions. Eggs, fish, meats, jello, jellybeans, you name it.. if it was on Hogwart's menu, it was being hurled at Death Eaters. Peeves, Myrtle, Nick, Ron (and we all know how much Ron can eat!) were all consuming food as fast as their mouths could devour it while Draco hurled it in multiple directions.

The stench in the room was quickly unbearable, Death Eaters trying to escape the torrent were slipping and falling all over the floor. Smothering themselves in the gunk once called edible food, the house elves kept the food coming, and the ghosts kept eating. Chaos settled the once darkness dominated room.

Hermione saw her opportunity, and was far from losing it. With a small whisper she flipped her fingers and the ropes began untying themselves. She held her breath, the stench of rotten food making her stomach turn. She had to fight not to join quite a few Death Eaters who were wretching unable to get out of the Great Hall.

Catherine slowly made her way over to Hermione as she freed herself of the ropes, ducking and dodging the flying food as it went. The hems of this gown would never come clean of the stench and food soil. They found themselves a safe corner to hide in, holding their sleeves over their noses as they watched the chaos ensue. Slowly the shadow cloaks of the Death Eaters were put to use and they escaped out of the Hall.

Voldemort was gone from the room, but not the school. Hermione looked over to Draco, tilting her head at his non-coporal form raising an eyebrow.

"What!" He spat. "Get outta here Granger!"

She didn't need to be told twice. She and Catherine slid out the side door that led to the Slytherin dungeons.

"So, we got this body, of Draco Malfoy. What do we do with it now?" Blaise said rubbing his eyebrow with his fingernail.

"We wait for Malfoy I guess," Harry said shrugging.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Give me Solace

Catherine and Hermione made it into the common room. Slytherin was certainly different that Gryffindor ever was. But right now, Hermione didn't care. She felt her knees weaken, as she realized the Death Eaters couldn't get in here. And she didn't fight it. She let her knees curl under her, and promptly fainted.

Harry felt an immense headache, he could barely see with the shooting stars streaking past his eyes. He would have to say that this was indeed a migraine. Voldemort was pissed. Not only was he pissed, but he was nearby. Gods this had to end, the pain was overwhelming. Blaise held onto Potter as he began to drop to his knees.

"Easy Bloke!" Blaise said as he pulled the boy that lived to his feet. "Let's sit you down eh?"

"No," Harry said as a tear slid down his cheek. "You stay here and wait for Malfoy. I have to go."

"Yeah right!" Blaise said sarcasm dripping from each word. "Potter, he'll anihilate you with a thought! Now stay here. Draco has got to have a plan of some kind, he always does."

"This isn't his concern or burden. I think him being dead is enough of a problem for him. Now, stay here and make sure Hermione stays safe. This has got to end, one way or the other." And before Blaise could stop him, Harry was making a mad flight down the long hall.

_Oh that smell is aweful! _Hermione's eyes flashed open, instinctively shoving whatever was infront of her face away. Neville smiled.

"She's awake!" he announced as if he won the House Cup all on his own.

Hermione ran her hands over her face and down the length of her own arms, blinking and looking around. Right, Slytherin Common Room. She felt a vibration from under her ribs and sat up with a blinding curiousity. There was a couch, but the vibration followed her as she sat up. She reached into the deep pocket of the cloak and retrieved a violently shivvering journal out of her pocket. She went to open the cover as all around her looked at her like she had three heads. The cover didn't want to open, then it flew open without her touch releasing a torrent wind in her face as it did.

Hermione jumped and dropped the book in the shock. It had never done anything like that before. Slowly she curled her fingers around the book and lifted it up. Opening the first page, the writing wasn't his. It was someone else's beautiful calligraphy none the less, it was not his.

_Ahhhh so it seems my little protege has learned well of the things I have taught him. And to whom does this precious journal owe the pleasure of being owned by? Hmmm... would it be you my dirty little mudblood?_

Hermione jumped reading the words. Someone had the journal. One of the Death Eaters more than likely. She grabbed a quill and ink and began writing.

_Who is this? _She scrawled out quickly, not caring about her penmanship at the moment.

_Ah yes, there is no lisp or need for therapy for my speech impediment when writing, now is there._

Hermione's breath caught in her throat.

_Where is he?_ She scrawled out again. _If you hurt him you bastard, I'll hex you into the next century!_

_Oh no worries my dear Mudblood. Harry Potter is just fine, he's sitting her glaring at me. Such a impudent whelp of a boy. Really he was much too easy to subdue. A few Crucio curses and he was at my knees. Just as you shall be soon my pet._

Hermione didn't know whether to be relieved or angry. So she decided on angry.

_You are going to pay dearly Voldemort. This I swear to you on my blood!_

A long pause awaited. The page started writing again, this time the ink was red, and wet.

_Your blood? HA! You mean your husband's blood! Your Harry is not pureblood, so I know it is not him you worry for. But the book was found nonetheless. Pansy tells me that you stole her man. Considering she isn't really sane right now, one does have to wonder what she is talking about. If your husband were dead, you would surely know it. Since he is not, he is just one more piece of a puzzle to your ultimate demise. Your blood means little, dirty mudblood. Did you think you could blood bond your way into prestige? Really girl, marrying a pureblood. Foolish. Absolutely foolish. But then again, you are a fool aren't you. I'll just keep writing this in his blood runs out. Then your Harry Potter will be no more, and his soul shall be exterminated just like he should have been 17 years ago. _

Hermione ran over the thoughts in her mind. He was right, she probably would know if he were dead. Either by the blood or by their rings. She sighed thinking over what he said about Harry. It was Harry's blood he was writing in.

_What are the terms? You wouldn't be writing to me if you were just going to kill him and have it be done._

Another pause.

"Hermione?" Catherine said softly laying a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"He has Harry. He's writing in Harry's blood," she said shivering slightly.

"Voldemort has Harry?" she said softly. "Harry will be fine, let him fight his own battle Hermione. How did Voldemort get the other side of the journal?"

"I don't know. I am not sure I should ask either," she said as a tear slipped down her cheek.

_No terms. Harry dies. He is mine._

The words filled her with dread. Harry was all alone to fight Voldemort. NO her mind shouted at her. NO, NO, NO, NO! Harry is not alone.

Hermione stood up, and slid the journal into her pocket.

"Professor Bruce, I'm going to help Harry. Then I am going to go find my husband. When this is all over, please let Harry know I will miss him," she said and walked from the Common Room. She walked with purpose, every defense charm in place. A smile came over Catherine's face as she saw the determination resolved to fight.

He sat up with a start, gasping for air, holding his chest tightly as if his heart would somehow escape the cage of his ribs. He was so cold, shuddering and shivering. He closed his eyes, realization coming over his limbs. It had worked. He had fooled them all. Fumbling with his robe he realized something was missing. He jerked and checked again. Damnit, he had lost the journal.

Harry sat in the corner, not flinching or moving. Every time he did another wave of curses was flown in his direction. He had to wait, he had to hold off until the time was right. He had to make them believe it was over for him. Was it over? Was this going to be the end? Well, it would be the end, but for whom? Would it be for him or for him? He mulled over in his head over and over what he could possibly do. But Harry wasn't about to give up. He observed, taking in every detail of whom Voldemort kept close to him and who he kept at a distance.

David Grisham was kept very close. Voldemort didn't trust him, that was apparent but he trusted him more than any other in the room at this moment. It was then Harry realized that fear ruled this room. Not loyalty, not respect. Grisham was the only one in the room unafraid of Voldemort's wrath. As Voldemort wrote in the journal, Harry desperately tried not to hiss at the burning sensation on his chest. The words of the journal were being carved into his skin.

Harry allowed himself some reverie over the past events of this year thus far. He remembered questioning Hermione on her odd behavior regarding the mysterious boyfriend whom only later did they learn was DP. Why they never met for lunch, why they were never seen together, why she seemed to keep him such a secret. It had made Ron exceedingly angry that Hermione was involved with someone. Ron continually had questioned her trust in him not to tell him everything. Ever since her attack she had become very secretive overall. Harry couldn't blame her, she had been damn near raped, molested for two whole weeks by dementors, and let's not even go to what had happened with her parents. Now with all of this happening at her school, Hermione truly had no where to go after this was all done.

It was then that Harry realized that this had been Voldemort's plan all along. Strip Hermione and Ron of everything, leaving Harry feeling overly protective. And Harry had fallen directly into the trap. His overly protective nature had brought him here to this room to face an enemy that was not alone. Crabbe and Goyle were throwing curse after curse at him, just to keep him still and keep him from acting against Voldemort. But Voldemort didn't trust them, that he could tell from the distance that was kept between the two.

Grisham was Professor Bruce's son, he had gathered that much thus far. Bruce wasn't going to be "easy to be rid of", that much he had gathered as well. What was so different about Professor Bruce? Surely Dumbledore and McGonagall wouldn't have been considered "easy to dispose of" either, but Bruce genuinely sparked worry in Voldemort. Interesting.

"You will rid me of her presenssssse..." the Dark Lord said unto Grisham.

"And how praytell do you expect me to accomplish that? I've been trying for two centuries!" Grisham replied completely and utterly disrespectfully. Harry had to fight to contain a smirk.

"Box her up and throw her in the sea for all I care," Voldemort replied coolly. "Do not let her interfere again. Granger will be dealt with. I want her blood on the floor this night. I want whomever dared to claim her before me sobbing for mercy he shall not have. The mudblood has caused much problems. And since Miss Parkinson is now bleeding heavily we can assume that Lucius has failed as well."

Harry didn't understand that statement. But he recorded it into memory. Who has "claimed" Hermione? What did he mean by that and what did it have to do with Lucius Malfoy? What did she have to do with Voldemort's plans? Why would he give a rats ass about a muggleborn witch?

"Now Mr. Potter, you have about three seconds to tell me where to find Miss Granger before I start writing again. I doubt you want my entire account of your torture told to Miss Granger via her journal," Grisham spat out.

Harry paused, he didn't know where she would be right now.

"You want me, come and get me!" Her voice chimed from the door of the room.

"Expelliarmus!" One of the Death Eaters threw the spell but in a simple wave of her hand the Death Eater felt the feeling of his own spell throwing him hard against the wall sending his wand skittering across the floor.

"Any one else feeling lucky?" Hermione was seething with anger. Just needing an excuse to set lose a whole new wave of magic upon those within the room.

"CRUCIO," one of them screamed.

"REFLECTUS!" and another Death Eater felt the pain being inflicted by the unforgivable curse.

"IMPERITUS!" Voldemort pointed his wand at Hermione. She turned her head and let a small, dark chuckle rise to her lips.

"Nice try," she mused. "TIDARIMUS!" She thrust both hands forward and a wave of air washed over the entire group of Death Eaters advancing upon her forcing them all back like they were caught in an undertow of a crashing wave of the sea. Another flick of the wrist had Harry's ropes untying themselves.

Grisham came forward, his wand ready as he stormed toward Hermione. He was truly an intimidating form in motion.

"Isis," Hermione whispered. "Astarte," she flicked out another finger, "Diana", another finger. "Hecate," a fourth finger. "Demeter," yet another finger. "Kali", the room began to fill with a dark smoke. "Inanna" she said finally as she splayed her hand out toward Grisham. The black smoke filled the room making visibility very minimal. Hermione made a dash for Harry, remembering where in the room he was. The pulse filled the room as Hermione continued speaking.

"Guardians of the Witches Blade, hear my call. I call to points North, points East, points South, and Points West. Rid from me my fears, free me from them. Giveth my fears unto mine enemy and let me stand strong in the name of the Goddess I beg of thee, so mote it be," she said standing above Harry.

Now the one problem with wand magic was that one had to be able to see their intended target. This smokey blackness made wand magic extremely difficult. She heard several Luminos spells being cast to little or no avail, they couldn't permeate the darkness Kali had sent upon the room.

"Be thee of woman or maid?" the gentle voice came.

"This woman would seek assistance," Hermione answered.

"Very well," was all that came in the form of an answer and suddenly the darkness was gone, Hermione was gone, the Death Eaters were gone, Grisham was gone.

Harry looked and saw his wand sitting before him. And a pissed off Voldemort storming in his direction. Without a second thought, Harry rose the wand in hand and stood to his feet. His chest was covered in his own blood from the sentances Voldemort had written in the journal that were now part of his chest.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" Harry screamed sending the spell waving at Voldemort.

Voldemort deflected the child like spell with ease.

"CRUCIO!" Voldemort sent the wave of pain flying at Harry, but it seemed to wash over him like a warm summer rain instead of hurting. Looking out of his expectant wince, he realized he wasn't in pain at all. He started putting the pieces of the puzzle together and realized what Hermione's spell had done. It had negated all evil or harmful magics. Magics? That couldn't be used to stop the beast that was almost at him now. Harry flipped the wand around in his hand holding the handle like one would a dagger.

Voldemort stopped his advance seeing the boy's changed posture. He raised his wand and waved it at Potter muttering something incoherent. When he saw that nothing was happening, he narrowed his eyes. He dropped his wand and ran at Harry, his anger seething and visibly so. Harry did not waver. He stood firm, ready to take whatever the snakelike man thought he might dish out. Voldemort hissed as his hand lashed outward toward Harry's face.

Harry was quick to dodge the onslaught of the Dark Lord's fist. And even faster to plant one directly into Voldemort's gut. The Lord shifted back some, Harry could feel the wind knocked from the man. But not enough as another swing came, planting on Harry's jaw knocking his head to the side. Harry saw red.

Visions of his father, mother, Sirius, Dumbledore, Lucius, Narcissa, Pansy, Ron, and Cedric all passed before his eyes as Harry's fists flew. The onslaught of the boy's rage obviously had caught the Dark Lord by surprise. Blocking what he could, but Harry's seeker instincts took hold sending punch after punch in rapid succession.

Voldemort fell onto his back after swaying in the wave of punches and assaults that had not particular target on his person. They were blind punches but they were strong ones. Harry jumped on his chest, and for a moment one might honestly mistake him for Ron in his violent torrent against the man below him. There was no one there to stop him, no one to tell him this was wrong. There was no Azkaban to send him to, there was no place safe to hide, there was no place to stop running. Harry was finished running and being afraid. Voldemort was broken and bleeding below him. His knuckles were burning from the numerous hits he kept placing on the Dark Lord's body. Suddenly, without warning, the fist that held the wand was raised high in the air and Voldemort could do little other than let his eyes go wide as the boy brought his wand down hard, point end downward.

As Voldemort saw the point of the wand growing bigger and bigger in his vision he realized where the tip was headed. Directly into his eye. And it did not stop.

The sickening crunch sound as the tip of the wand broke somewhere in the back of Voldemort's skull was what awakened Harry from his violent outburst. He honestly didn't remember how the Dark Lord had become so broken under his own body. How he had come to be above him, his hand on the wand that now jutted from the once powerful Dark Lord's eye. The body below him twitched, then was still. The final breath of air escaping his lungs, the Lord died under his body.

Harry collapsed next to the Dark Lord's body shaking and holding his arms around himself. Suddenly he was very alone indeed, and the world was getting colder by the moment. His mind seemed to be freezing over like the walls did when a dementor was around, yet he could not feel any pain. His mind clouded, the room was a blur. He felt motion next to him... no... it wasn't possible... he was dead... wait...

Harry had a dawning realization... Dumbledore's voice came over his ears like he was standing next him. "When Voldemort cast the unforgivable curse on you Harry, he put a bit of himself within you. That is why I suspect you are able to use the parceltongue.."

Harry was the a final Horcruxe. Even as Harry lay here dying, Voldemort was awakening. NO! NO!

Harry's body grew colder, his limbs refused to function. The light came over brightly into his eyes. A face smiled at him through the mist. A hand reaching out. NO! I CANNOT LEAVE! His mind was screaming but his body was not acting.

Fire enveloped his body as he heard Sirius' voice.

"Harry, one last move, c'mon boy! One last motion! Make it count, you're making me wait here," he could envision an impatient Sirius leaning on his motorcycle waiting for him.

Harry fought and reached out an arm, his head tilting trying to see beyond the mist covering his eyes. His fingers clasped something, and he held it fast, bringing it to his chest he realized what he was holding. Voldemort's wand. Placing it between them, he felt more than he saw Voldemort removing the wand from his eye. He heard the think sound like pulling your fist from a tub of pudding. With the last of his energy, Harry threw back his arm and then thrust it forward. A whisper was all he could muster, but it would be all he needed.

''_Avada Kedavra," _and Harry saw the blinding green light. He didn't feel any pain, but the spell had obviously struck them both. He heard Voldemort's dying scream and realized that this was the only way. The only way that Voldemort would stay dead was if he, too, died. The mist overwhelmed him, the light was so bright. There was no pain, his body moved. He looked to his hands which were not bloodied or scarred. Looking upon his clothes he wore his school robes. A small smirk came to his lips as he realized there were no rims on the world around him, he could see with no glasses upon his face.

He heard someone clear their throat and his eyes looked up. There was Dumbledore and Sirius standing in front of Sirius' motorcycle. They stepped out of the way so Harry could go to the bike, when Harry stopped dead in his tracks. Sitting there, like a pair of lost lovebirds was his mother curled around his father's waist as if readying to leave.

"Well you gonna stand there all day? We have places to go today Harry!" Lily called out. "C'mon!"

Harry ran over, his parents enveloping him in the long awaited hug from the day he saw them in the mirror of visions he saw in his second year. Everything had finally come full circle.

"What's with all this mush! Let's go already!" Sirius called out and Harry just laughed. He was finally free from being the Chosen One, being the Boy That Lived, or from being Harry Potter in general. He was just these people's son, and these people were apparently in a hurry.


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

FULL CIRCLE

Saint Mungo's. It wasn't always the warmest of places, but this part of the hospital was. Worried people wandered the halls, all fretting over someone in one of the rooms. Others sat contentedly just awaiting good or perhaps even bad news. Some held flowers, some held dreams, some held hopes, other held sorrows. It was amazing to watch a place such as this. It turned some of the brightest and strongest of people into dark ones, and then again, sometimes it lit up the darkest recessses of the darkest of places.

Her screams made him shudder. It was painful for him to listen to. It had been too many months of her being alone. Such desperation in her cries. But it hadn't been safe for him to go to her. It still wasn't. He heard her wails and the doctors all franticly racing around. Her pain was so very real.

He never got the journal back. All this time he hadn't been able to reassure her in any way that he was still here. Her dark prince charming. His Swan was hurting, the pain all too real and there was nothing he could do except sit here in the hall and listen to her wails. In truth he had never been far from her since the day Voldemort died.

She had barely made it through Ron and Harry's funerals. Infact some part of her died with them. Her going through this all alone, that is why she was here now. Her painful wails and screams keeping his mind on the edge of sanity. Her pain throbbing in his body as he refused to remove the wedding band off of his hand. It wasn't overwhelming like hers must have been. But for him to feel it so heavily meant that it was literally tearing her body apart.

She still didn't know who it was she had married that fateful day that Voldemort died. May 13th was their anniversary. Hermione had been given special certificate of graduation after Voldemort had been killed, as had all the rest of the 7th years. The damage done to the school was intense and required it to be shut down at least temporarily until the Ministry of Magic decided if it was wise or prudent to reopen it.

Neville had gone on to college, Professor Bruce had become a Minister.

After Voldemort's death, all Death Eaters suffered horribly from the curses of the Dark Mark's. This made them easy to find and most were either executed or serving life sentences. But there were still a few out there. The common rumor was that Hermione had somehow killed the Dark Lord. And many sought her life of those that had not been caught. Even now she stood with two Aurors protecting the door to her room. Inside the room, one of the Ministers was there taking a blood sample from Hermione. Soon his secret would be out. It was known she had a blood bond marriage to a pureblood. And they were determined to protect her from any pureblood line that would seek her death for being a muggle born.

He could only wish that they would leave her alone right now. She had Aurors around her every waking moment. Being a hero for something she hadn't done, she had only cleared the road so that the Chosen One could do it. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? His heart raced in his chest. No, the secret would not be given away by some stupid overzealous mediwitch from the Ministry. Damnit!

He stood and removed his cloak from his head and walked determined to the door. The Aurors held their arms out to stop him.

"I'm here for my wife," he said coolly. "Now let me pass!"

The Aurors looked at each other, and one slipped inside the room while the other kept him out here. Another set of shrieks from the room sent the mediwitch from the Ministry out as well as the Auror. In the hand of the mediwitch was held a vial of his love's blood. He plucked it out of the hand of the mediwitch.

"I don't recall giving you authorization to touch my wife," he snarled. "Now move and let me in."

"I cannot do that," the Auror said. "We have no proof that you are who you say."

"Deliver then this message to her and see if she wants me to stay outside. Ask her and I mean quote this to her directly "My Swan, do you wish them to keep me outside the room?"," he said clearly. "Have you got that?"

"I cannot do that," the Auror stated.

"Damnit she's my wife!" he fought hard.

Another set of screams erupted out of the room, and it was all he could do not to hex this Auror clean into the next century. He charged for the door, only to be held back by the two strong guards.

"What seems to be the problem here?" a charming voice came from behind the scuffle. He turned to find a wand steadily pointed at him. Looking up from the wand he saw the gentle face of Catherine Bruce.

"I'm sorry Minister Bruce, this man seems to believe he is Miss Granger's husband and wants into the room," the Auror replied.

"Well be that as it may, did he give you message to give to her?" Bruce said incredulously.

"Yes ma'am," he answered.

"Then do it," she said firmly. "Now."

The Auror nodded and slipped into the hospital room once again.

"You," she said pointing at the mediwitch. "Give me that order you received for the blood draw."

The mediwitch complied with some sordid comment which Catherine took no guff from the predjudiced prick by swatting him in the face with her wand enough to leave a tight sting that would surely welt.

"I didn't ask your opinion, and I'll not have it. If you relish your job I suggest you be quiet," she opened the order, her eyes bugging out of her head as she realized who had signed the order. Arthur Weasley. He probably thought the girl had married his son. With his death would want it kept secret. Unfortunately Arthur had failed to listen to reason regarding how this could not have been. Ron died the night Hermione was married and she was married far from the school, and Ron died in the school. Blaise Zabini had testified to Ron's whereabouts, yet Arthur took this step anyway? Poor girl.

The Auror emerged out of the room and looked to the Minister.

"She wants to see him," he said.

Catherine noted that the screams out of the room had died down somewhat and nodded.

"Go to your wife sir," she said, opening the door for him. "But if any harm comes from your presence, you will have to leave. You understand of course," she said softly.

He didn't dignify her with an answer, he was too busy bursting into the room.

There his love lay, tubes and IV's in her arms. Sweat pouring over her body that was wracked in pain. He could see her panting off the pain, trying so hard to be brave for him. Trying so hard not to respond to the waves of agony burning in her body. He quickly removed his cloak, his waves of long dark hair released moved about his body as he made his way to her side, pulling up a chair and taking her hand.

"Easy my Swan, I am here," he cooed, pushing her messy hair away from her sweaty face. "It will be over soon, I promise, shhh..."

"They said I can't... it's not time... I have to..." she stuttered as another wave of pain struck her body. Tears rimmed in his eyes. She was in such agony it tore him apart.

"Easy Miss, we're going to give you something now to ease the pain," the mediwitch said gently administering something in a needle into her arm. It took only moments for Hermione's eyes to glaze over a bit and she settled slightly. Breathing came easier, and she slipped away sleepily.

"Let her rest sir, she'll need the strength," the mediwitch said. Without another word she was left to rest.

Hours went by, an eternity for him. She'd wake every once in a while and the fits of pain would start again and they would inject her again and she would sleep again.

Finally she awoke and the pain was no longer in waves. It was steady and she tossed her head back and forth like a wounded animal. Her eyes were ferocious, his lioness was fighting with all she had.

"Alright, it's time," the doctor said entering through the door. "Hold her hands and when we tell you help her lean forward. It's almost over Hermione," the doctor said soothingly. "It's almost done."

"How long has she been like this?" he asked.

The doctor just gave him a smile. "This isn't abnormal for someone in her condition. Alright, are you ready Hermione?"

She nodded emphatically and on signal, they curled her up and she screamed. Then they let her down again. He assisted with the procedure. Hooking one of his arms under her back, the other under her leg as they folded her on the signals given by the doctor.

"Once more," the doctor said, and they did. Hermione screamed like it was the end of the world. It was so painful, it had to stop after this. She couldn't do this. She cried out clawing at his and the mediwitches arms. The sweat poured off her body. It had to end soon. It had to or she felt she would surely die. She confessed all of this and it hurt his heart to hear it. His love dying was not a possibility today.

Hermione's face scrunched up, she held her breath.

"PUSH HERMIONE!" the doctor ordered. "PUSH HARD GIRL!"

Slowly letting out a scream that was more a roar, she did as she was told. And as the contraction ended, she slumped back upon the pillows like all the life had been sucked out of her body in that last attempt.

He hadn't been able to bring himself to look to the doctor until he heard it. It was just barely audible at first, a coughing sound, like a small animal choking on something. Then it came loud. The scream of a child. His child. His child just emerged into the world, his eyes dared to look over. Bloody and covered in Hermione's bodily fluids, it lay there on her belly. They were cutting the umbilical cord which was in the way of him seeing whether he was a proud father of a son or a daughter. He let out a breath of air he didn't realize he was holding. The child lay there crying, and he turned his eyes back to Hermione. She was gazing down from the pile of pillows at the child on her belly. Trying to smile. Desperately trying, but she was so tired. So very tired. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Easy Swan, rest now, you did so well love," tears were staining his cheeks but his smile was not to be denied.

The mediwitches took the child and cleaned it up and wrapped it tightly in blankets before presenting the bundle to it's mother.

"Congradulations, you have a beautiful baby girl," Hermione managed to take the child lazily onto her chest. Her love held the child with her for support. Hermione looked down into the very open and amazingly alert eyes of the child on her body. She gasped as she saw stormy grey eyes staring back at her. She slowly raised her hand up and pushed the little hat they had put on the baby for warmth away to reveal the pristine white hair that clung to the baby's head. There wasn't much of it, but it was there. Placing the cap back on the baby's head her eyes turned to him. Shock was more than apparent on her face, but then it was replaced by a small smile.

"I.. knew... you ... could.. not .. be ... just .. like .. your.. father..." she said exhaustedly. "I love you." She fought hard to keep her eyes open, even as the doctors were stitching up her the small tears caused by the difficult birth.

He leaned down and kissed her lips gently, then kissed the baby's forehead and sat down next to his wife and daughter. "Sleep my swan, I'll keep watch while you do," he said softly and took his daughter into his arms.

She was already gone before he finished the last syllable. In labor for over two days, a difficult and painful one. The doctors assured him that it wasn't unusual for a first birth. They assured him that right up until the end she had refused medication or potions to assist.

But now as he sat here, he looked to the doctors and smiled. He couldn't be angry anymore.

She awoke with a start. Had it all been a dream? It was so real! Her hand immediately went to her stomach, which was flat and out of texture. No, it was real. Her love had been here, their daughter was now in the world. Where was he? She tried to sit up and moaned out laying back down. Her nether regions were still in such agony and she felt like a train had hit her hard.

"I know now why I'm an only child," he said softly.

Her eyes moved slowly around the room before settling on a man in a chair. The baby in his arms sleeping soundly. She smiled as he came into focus, his long white hair, and beautiful stormy grey eyes settled on hers.

"Draco..."

"Yes my Swan.."

"Pandora Gossamer Malfoy..." she said with a soft smile.

"Yes my Swan." He looked back down to his sleeping daughter and couldn't think of a more fitting name. She truly was Pandora. She had opened the box of the world's hurt and sorrow, but instead of dying from it, she had cast it back into the box. Sealing it for all time with her very life, very essence. Pandora Malfoy had made light the world in his eyes that was once so very dark. Afterall, you cannot help the way you are born.

It was this little bundle of light in all the of darkness that had been caused by thedeath of Voldemort that had kept his loving wife going. He now had months of not being there to make up for, and he most ascertainly would do just that. And Hermione would be begging him to leave her alone before he would leave her side again, even for only a few moments. Afterall, he had been wrong about her. And she deserved a loving husband, and all the things he had promised her.

FIN


End file.
